







»• J" ■s. J, • ♦ • > « v> 



••- '^O 



.<^* o « o 




^^ ^. 








.0^ e* 







^o 



. <i> 6 » " » ♦ «^.. 








5^-"-^ '.^ 











b^.*" .♦% ^ '. 






ES S AY S 



MISCELLANIES. 



€^n\tt Cttllings, 



ntOM THE MANUSCRIPTS OF 



"^; 



{3 ^ 



GRACE AGUILAR, 

u 

AUTHOR OP "THE WOMEN OF ISRAEl," " VAIE OF CEDARS," "SPIRIT OF JUDAISM," 

"WOMAN'S FRIENDSHIP," "JEWISH FAITH," "DATS OF BRUCE," 

"THE mother's RECOMPENSE," ETC. 



.KcUfteD fig ?)fr Mai^tx, 
SARAH AGUILAR. 



PHILADELPHIA: 
A. HART, LATE CAREY and HART, 

126 CHESTNUT STREET. 
1853. 






Entered, according to the Act of Congress, in the year 1853, by 

A. HART, 

in the Clerk's OfSce of the District Court of the United States, in and 

for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. 



E. B. HEARS, STEREOTYPER. T. K. A P. G. COLLINS, PRINTERS. 



PREFACE. 

In putting forward these expositions, the Editress 
labours under some difficulties, now, alas ! impossible 
to be removed ; for the death of her beloved daughter, 
four years since, leaving the manuscripts, which were 
written many years previously, without having ar- 
ranged them with a prospect of publication, makes 
her painfully feel, that some portions must be inferior 
to what she could have written, or re-arranged, had 
she been here to meet the demand now made for 
its going before the world. 

Under these circumstances, she however feels it 
would be presumptuous, if not unjust, to allow an- 
other mind to supply what may be imagined wanting ; 
and can therefore only request the indulgence of her 
readers for the work as it is presented to them, and 
to let the remembrance of the author's early death 
and far earlier exposition of this difficult and abstruse 
subject, weigh with them kindly during its perusal. 
December 7, 1851. 

(iii) 



TO THE MEMORY OF GRACE AGU.ILAR* 



BY W. MILBOXIENE KIEKHOUSE. 



Tears of the gifted, such- as flow 

From Feeling's holy shrine, 
Wreaths from the "never-fading" tree, 

My early friend, are thine. 
Songs such as Delos' children wove, 

Thine elegy shall be ; 
And tablets of pvire Parian hue 

Shall tell thy memory. 

Oh ! thine were feelings so refined, 

That thou didst wake a love 
Such as thy soul in glory Bhares, 

In purest realms above. 
Thy characters were perfect ones ; 

Their souls so pure, so bright, 
Proclaim the proud, ennobling mind 

Which brought those thoughts to light. 

* Furnished to the Publisher by a friend of the Author. 

1* (v) 



TO THE MEMORY OF 

Thy " Florence" -was a model for 

The young and good of earth, 
A specimen of all that can 

Entitle us to worth ; 
Thy " Helon" with his courage true, 

Religiously attained, 
Proclaims the attribute of mind 

When properly constrained. 



"Minie," and "Walter," lovely ones, 

Who shared the bitter fate 
Of Genius' children's pilgrimage 

On to the better state ; 
"Ida," and "Mary;" "Ronald," too. 

But show thy grasp of mind, 
Thy perfect knowledge of the "good" 

Which should adorn mankind. 



But pure thyself, thou didst adorn 

The ever varying page ; 
In every line, thou didst expose 

The evils of the age. 
But thou art gone, thrice gifted one. 

And quenched for aye's the flame ; 
But other hearts -will deck it with 

Imperishable fame. 



GRACE AGUILAR. 

" HemanB," and " Wilson,"* " Sheridan,"f 

Kindred in soul and worth, 
Their lutes are on the -willows hung, 

Hushed is their song of mirth ; 
And where is "Wynne," J who cherished thee, 

And gifted Polack,^ too ? 
Meteors too bright, they dazzled us, 

Then vanished from our view. 

And thou art gone, Grace Aguilar, 

'The "Darling" of thy race; 
Child of the "hated," thou wert one 

E'en any sphere to grace. 
And oh ! like her, proud Hebrew maid 

Thou didst awake a cry. 
Pure as the northern peasant was. 

Is chronicled on high. 

For though "destruction's" besom swept 

Thy children o'er the earth, 
They yet shaU worship in the land 

Which gave their fathers birth ; 
And Zion's songs shall yet be deemed 

Acceptable to God, 
And Zion's maidens sweetly dance, 

On .ludah's hallowed sod, 

* Mrs. C. B. Wilson. t Miss Louisa Sheridan. 

t Lady Charlotte Wynne. g Miss Elizabeth Polact. 



▼Ui TO THE MEMORY OF 

And, lovely one — like Wilberforce, 

Thou scarce didst live to see 
Thy prayer fulfilled, the factory child 

From slavery set free. 
Like "Darling"* thou didst raise the cry, 

The •' helpless" heard the voice. 
And hoping still, thou helped them on, 

And bid their souls rejoice. 

Though not Ferrantes' f fate was thine, 

Save in its brighter glow ; ^ 
We mourn a " Howard" of her sex, 

For such indeed wast thou. 
Suffering virtue at thy hand 

Met succour in distress: 
A cloud by day and fire by night 

While in the wilderness. 

I mourn for thee, my sister friend, 

As kindred in that art. 
Which is divine — a holy tie 

No human power can part ; 
When first my muse essayed to sing 

'Neath Wilson's fostering care, 
Thou too did'et grace the glowing page, 

And " Youatt's"J name was there. 

* Grape Daxling. 

f Niccolo Ferrantes, a celebrated Italian poet. 

t Miss Elizabeth Youatt. 



GRACE AGUILAR. 

We know no creed save that wliich bound 

Our souls by ties as strong 
As revelation e'er proclaimed, 

Or graced the Psalmist's song ; 
Onward we went, one hope in view, 

Both pilgrims on the road 
Towards the "everlasting towers," 

"The city of our God." 

Peace to thy ashes ! may there rise 

From out thy ashes now, 
A genius of thy race as bright, 

As purely bright as thou. 
And when our earthly race is o'er. 

Oh ! may we meet above. 
And join the bright-robed heav'nly throng 

Who sing that " God is love." 



SABBATH THOUGHTS 



LECTURE ON THE TWENTY-SECOND PSALM BY THE 
REV. R. S. ANDERSON, 9th NOV. 1836. 



(15) 



SABBATH THOUGHTS 



LECTURE ON THE TWENTY-SECOND PSALM 



BT THE REV. E. S. ANDEBSON, 9tH NOV. 1836. 



There is nothing, in my opinion, that enlarges 
an unprejudiced mind more, than joining with those 
of another faith in their religious ceremonies ; but 
then it must be an unprejudiced mind, a charitable 
and kindly spirit, otherwise just the contrary of 
liberality and enlargement of ideas must be the 
consequence. Let no Jew who has a contempt of 
the Christian, enter into a place of worship belong- 
ing to the latter, for if he do, it will be but to laugh 
at forms he does not understand, or at a belief in 
which he will not see any even moral beauty. Nor 
is contempt of any other religion, any proof, that 
hisWn is the more steadfast. We shall find those of 
any and every faith, who are early convinced of the 
2 (17) 



18 ESSAYS .\>:D miscellanies. 

truth of their o\yn doctrine, more ready and ■will- 
ing to be charitable and liberal, than those who 
have but the smatterings of religion. I thank God, 
H6 has in His mercy permitted me to be so firmly 
convinced of the truth and holiness of my own belief, 
that it is a pleasure to me to join with Christians in 
their religious forms. If we looJc for it, we shall 
find in almost, nay, in every lecture whose founda- 
tion is religion, somewhat that comes home to our 
own hearts, somewhat that will strike the inmost 
recesses of the soul, even though it be addressed to 
the followers of Christ, and their Saviour be the 
principal subject ; even then may the mind of a 
liberal and pious Jew be enlarged, for he will know 
why, and what, a Christian does believe, and surely 
if he know that, he will not contemptuously accuse 
them of wilful blindness. If he see, how from their 
earliest childhood the Old Testament is explained 
as typical of the New, so skilfully as for it to be 
morally impossible for them to read the one with- 
out connecting it with the other ; the heart of 
the Jew may glow within him, in devotion, in awe, 
of that great Being who by Daniel said this would 
be, but it cannot turn with contempt or derision on 
the Christian, who, spite of his errors, or rather, 
the errors of his faith, yet worships with a true and 
pious heart the God of all. I am so firmly con- 



SABBATH THOUGHTS. 19 

vinced that the Christian religion is that Kingdom 
of Iron prophesied by Daniel, that was to consume 
and break in pieces all things, and which will last, 
till it hath indeed overcome and broken all things, 
by the conversion of every heathen nation, that 
all feelings towards the Christian, save those of 
charity, and in many cases admiration, have left my 
breast. And this is a blessed feeling, for it hath 
made me love my fellow creatures more ; and loving, 
I can esteem them, and believe that the prayers and 
praises -of all men, of whatever faith they may be, 
will be equally acceptable to my God if offered up 
in His Holy Spirit ; for I firmly believe it is not the 
superiority of belief, but superiority of true devo- 
tion, that will make the one more pleasing than the 
other to our God ; and therefore when I hear of 
pious and good men, seeking distant countries to 
convert heathen nations, I too rejoice, even as would 
a Christian, for I know it is thus God's word will 
be fulfilled. When the Kingdom of Iron has extend- 
ed over the whole world, then will our Messiah the 
Saviour of the Jews appear, to cleanse the Christian 
nation from their impurities, to remove the veil from 
their eyes, and to receive the Jew once more as the 
chosen of God ; for then the destined labours of both 
religions will be accomplished. The Christian, by 
its beautiful moral code, and the preaching of the 



20 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

existence of a God, will have rendered them more 
prepared to receive our promised Prince, than had 
they remained in their own barbarous idolatry ; and 
we shall have had time to repent of our former 
crimes, and turn, even as Moses did, once more unto 
the Lord. Believing thus, then, it is not strange 
it should be pleasure to me to worship my God, 
the God of Israel, even in the midst of Christians ; 
I know that God sees the hearts of all men, and He 
knows in what belief, what form my prayers ascend 
to Him, though to Christians I may appear as one 
of them, and when I think of the true piety of those 
with whom I pray, of their clergyman, whose heart 
is in his words, I may lament that they are not yet 
permitted to worship God according to the beautiful 
pure law that Moses taught; but I conceive it no 
sin to worship with them, nor can I see aught in 
their belief to call contempt from me. Besides, it is 
no credit to be firm and steadfast in your own belief 
if you are ignorant of that of others ; and I seldom 
leave a Protestant church without esteeming yet 
more the friends who T know follow up their 
minister's doctrine, and being yet more firmly con- 
vinced in the truth of my own religion. This may 
appear a contradiction, nevertheless it is true. I 
cannot esteem my friends for following up their 
faith, unless I know what they are taught, and, 



SABBATH THOUGHTS. 21 

when I do know that, and see how exactly they 
obey the dictates of their law, I must esteem them, 
however mistaken that law may appear to me ; but 
I am more convinced in my own belief, because all 
that the Christian preaches, of portions of the Old 
Testament being typical of the sufferings of Christ, 
is to me clearly illustrative of the sufferings of my 
own loved nation. Now Mr. Anderson took for his 
lecture on Wednesday, the 22d Psalm, as being 
equally descriptive of the sufferings of Christ, as 
the 53d chapter of Isaiah; but as I believe, that 
same chapter is most beautifully and clearly pro- 
phetic of the miseries of the Jewish nation in the 
time of their captivity, I cannot but also believe if 
the 22d Psalm is indeed prophetic, it is typical of 
the same subject. 

If, as Mr. Anderson said, those two Hebrew letters 
that form the title of the Psalm, and on which he 
laid so much stress, if they do signify the Hind of 
the morning, are they not equally applicable to the 
Jewish nation ? Have we not indeed been hunted 
from the sun of the morning to the setting of the 
same, like hinds from their coverts hunted until we 
were pulled down by the evening wolves ? Are we 
not a« "worms," or at least have we not been in 
our years of persecution ? have we not been looked 
upon more as worms than ifien ? have we not been, 

9 * 



22 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

are we not yet, in many nations, a " reproach of 
men, and despised of people ?" and we have indeed 
been laughed to scorn, and people have shooted out 
the lip at u^ and bid us, as they tortured us, call 
aloud upon our God for help. How frequently in 
the hour of torture have merciless persecutors told 
us with mocking gibes, " now call on the God of 
Abraham, and see if He can deliver you !" And 
as " many bulls," so many nations encompassed us, 
and beset us round, and even as a " ravening and 
roaring lion," they have "gaped upon us with their 
mouths." How very beautiful is this ! I cannot 
pass it by, without noticing how clearly and beauti- 
fully it illustrates, by gaping of lions, that it was not 
by assault we were to fall, but at their will. The 
nations were to persecute us, they gaped for cruelty, 
they were ravening and roaring for victims, and 
they were ever supplied by the miserable Jews ; it 
says not like a ravening and roaring lion they fell 
upon us, but they gaped upon us ; they did not 
assault us, as a lion would fall upon his prey, but 
they gaped for our destruction, even as we gape 
for sleep. The very " dogs," we road, have been set 
upon us by their masters ; " they have encompassed 
us ;" the assembly of the wicked have enclosed us; 
our hands and feet have been "pierced" with 
wounds ; and though Mr. Anderson laid much stress 



SABBATH THOUGHTS. 23 

on these words being exactly descriptive of the 
mode of punishment inflicted upon Christ, they can- 
not appear as anything to me, but as figurative 
of the tortures inflicted on us ; by the barbarous 
natiorit amongst whom we have been scattered, when 
indeed our hands and feet were pierced, for we were 
tortured, to give up our faith, or to disclose our 
hidden treasures. And how clearly is the rapacity of 
the nations typified in the 18th verse, " they part 
my garments among them, they cast lots for my 
vesture !" Did not those who tormented the Jews 
for their treasures, part the booty amongst them ? 
They would cast lots even for their very garments, 
tempted by their richness ; for very frequently it was 
the splendour which surrounded the Jew, that first 
attracted the envious eyes of his foes. 

Again : " Deliver my soul from the sword ; my 
darling from the power of the dog." What does 
this mean when applied to Christ ? to me, it signi- 
fies, deliver me from death, my darling, or my child, 
from the dogs ; for, how frequently, in the sacking of 
their cities, have Jewish infants been dashed from 
their mother's arms, and thrown as carrion to the 
dogs ! " Save me from the lion's mouth ; thou hast 
heard me from the horns of the unicorns." That to 
me is illustrative of the wretched Jew, calling aloud 
to his God for help in the hour of greatest need, and 



-24 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

reminding Him, tliat His help had been granted 
even when need was not so great ; but spite of all 
his sufferings, the Jew will declare the name of the 
Lord unto his brethren ; in spite of every torture, 
the Jews will yet congregate together to prais» Him. 
" I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the 
midst of the congregation will I praise Thee." And 
David appeals to the seed of Jacob, the seed of 
Israel ; and would not the Christians shrink from 
being termed children of Israel, children of Jacob ? 
and seed, throughout the holy writings, always with- 
out exception signifies children; it cannot then 
apply to the children of Christ, otherwise David 
would have specified it in other terms, a nation, a 
people ; not particularly, " all ye seed of Jacob 
glorify Him, all ye seed of Israel fear Him." " For 
He hath not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the 
afflicted, neither has He hid His face from hrm ; 
when he cried. He heard." And He has not des- 
pised nor abhorred our affliction ; in the midst of His 
threatening wrath, gracious promises appear. He 
hath loved, He does love His chosen people too well 
to cast us off for ever, to hide His face from us for 
ever. He heard. He hears us when we cry, scattered 
as we are from our own land. And in the midst of 
the great congregation will we praise Thee : that is, 
In the midst of the nations where we are scattered, 



SABBATH THOUGHTS. 25 

whicli are, compared to the small remnant of Jews, 
a great congregation, shall we yet address Thee, 
our God, and before those who fear him will we pay 
our vows. How clearly, how very clearly does this 
prove it was not amongst heathen nations alone we 
were to worship Him — amongst those who fear Him, 
consequently those who worship Him. "All the 
ends of the world shall remember and turn unto 
the Lord : and all the kindreds of the nations shall 
worship before Thee." There appears to me a com- 
plete division in this verse. That it is prophetic, is 
now quite clear ; not only prophetic, but containing 
a prophecy, that strikingly and beautifully pierces 
futurity, even deeper than any other verse ; for it 
says, "All the ends of the world shall remember and 
turn unto the Lord;" which we may, I trust, with 
humility, believe as relative to that day, when all 
the nations shall be converted to the knowledge of 
a God, when they shall quit their barbarous rites, 
and be gathered together in one fold, prepared to 
receive that light which will illumine the path of 
that Messiah, who is promised to the children of 
Israel, and who will come when the nations are in 
a measure prepared to receive Him, who is that 
great stone which is cut without hands, that is to 
break in pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the 
silver, and the gold, and who is to come, when the 



86 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

kingdom of Iron is broken and divided into two 
kingdoms, the Catholic and Protestant divisions of 
the kingdom of Christ. The next prophecy con- 
tained in this same 27th verse, is this : " And all the 
kindreds of the nations shall worship before Thee." 
Now t^is must signify something diflFerent from the 
preceding sentence; or else, if the same meaning, 
why do they so immediately follow one another ? 
It appears evident to me, by the word kindreds, 
some particular sect or faith, different from that ex- 
pressed by " All the ends of the earth shall remem- 
ber and turn unto the Lord." Kindred may well 
be applied to the Jews ; they are kindreds of the 
nations ; in whatever nation or country they are 
scattered, they are always bound together by their 
faith ; as if the law of Moses had the power of mak- 
ing one Jew kinsman to another. Wherever we 
are, if we meet a Jew, and the mark of God soon 
discovers that fact, we always with one consent ex- 
claim, that is one of our people ; unconsciously 
claiming kindred with the greatest stranger. There- 
fore, may not the Jewish people well be termed in 
their present scattered state, "kindreds of the 
nations?" for are we not kindred in feature, in 
forms, in faith ? The finger of God is traced upon 
our brows, to point us out as Ilis chosen, yet un- 
grateful and guilty people. That finger is not traced 



SABBATH THOUGHTS. 27 

on one alone, but on all, on every one, with scarcely 
one exception, that we should indeed be the kindreds 
midst the nations; and, therefore, would not this 
verse prove that David not only looked to that time 
when all the ends of the world should remember 
and turn unto the Lord, but he prophesied also, the 
kindreds of the nations should worship before Him. 
The Jews, scattered as they are amongst the na- 
tions, should yet be as kindred one to another, and 
yet worship in their own forms before their God. 
He says, " the nations shall worship before the 
Lord;'' but he also says, "the kindreds of the na- 
tions shall worship before Thee" — and may we not 
believe this, too, typical in a degree ? The Lord 
would signify the Lord God, as the Christians wor- 
ship ; but by Thee^ he would express his God, the 
God of Israel, even as he worshipped ; and do not 
the Jews to this very day worship as David did ? 
Thinking thus, how trebly beautiful does this verse 
appear to me ; for in almost every word the spirit 
of prophecy appeareth ; and with regard to applying 
the words " the Lord and Thee," as I have done, the 
preceding verse may be rendered in the same sense ; 
for, as we have seen, he says, " My praise shall be 
of tJiee in the great congregation ; I will pay my 
vows to them that fear Him." The praise of the 
children of Israel shall be of David's God, whom 



28 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

he signifies by the pronoun Thee, -and they shall 
pay their vows before them of the stranger faith, 
who yet worship and fear the Lord, though in a 
difierent form, and that he would designate by the 
word Him. The God of the Israelites and the God 
of the Christians, hut one — one alone. 

Let it not be thought I believe David signified two 
Deities. No ! the style of his writings would merely 
signify the two difi"erent modes of worship, used 
when addressing the same great and almighty God. 
The next verse, the 28th, confirms what I say, that 
he means but one being, as he says, " The kingdom 
is the Lord's, and He is the governor among the 
nations." Here it is evident by the two sentences; 
the one, as in the 27th verse, denotes the Jews, the 
other, those nations that worship God, yet not in 
the form of Moses. " The kingdom is the Lord's." 
The Jewish state or kingdom, as that word is fre- 
quently used in Scripture to signify one particular 
nation, " is the Lord's," meaning His own chosen 
people; but He is still governor of the nations, 
which now clearly signifies a greater number than 
the former kingdom, and may well relate to the 
superiority in numbers of every other nation over 
the Jews. He is yet governor over them, because 
they still worsJiip and fear him, though, not accord- 
ing to the law of Moses ; and consequently, by this 



SABBATH THOUGHTS. 29 

verse it is manifest David knew the God of the 
kingdoms and the Lord of the nations were the 
same ; and as we have before said, the difference of 
Da^dd's style Is merely typical of the difference of 
form with which the same God is worshipped. The 
30th verse is also illustrative of the Jewish nation, 
by the expression " a seed shall serve him, and be 
accounted to the Lord for a generation." David 
prophesied the decreased number of the Jews, a 
seed, would appear figurative of the diminished 
nation ; but diminished as they are, they shall yet 
serve Him ; and though their numbers are so small, 
they shall, by preserving the laws of Moses inviolate, 
be considered even as a generation. And this small 
remnant shall come, and shall declare the righteous- 
ness of the Lord unto a people that shall be born ;" 
which signifies unto their children, and their child- 
ren's children, "that he hath done this." Done 
what ? All that this prophecy recounts ; these last 
verses are like a summing up of all the prophesies 
contained in this beautiful Psalm ; as if by these 
words, David set his seal on what he before had 
written. That He hath done this ; that He hath 
punished His chosen people for their sins, by casting 
them among the nations, whose persecutions were 
but as His tool ; that He hath yet in mercy extended 



30 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

His mighty arm over them, that they should not 
perish everlastingly, but yet remain as kindred 
among the nations ; that He hath ordained another 
faith should extend over the ends of the world, who 
shall serve Him, though not as Moses did; that 
He hath permitted a seed or remnant of His peo- 
ple Israel to remain, who will to their children, a 
people who shall be born, " declare His righteous- 
ness that He hath done this." 

Thus have I endeavoured to meet Mr. Anderson's 
arguments with others, that would render the same 
psalm equally prophetic of my faith. Had I never 
heard Mr. Anderson preach on this beautiful psalm, 
I might have read and read again, and never 
thought it prophetic ; but hearing how he took it 
to support his faith, it led me to examine and think, 
for somewhat wherewith to defend my belief. Even 
while he spoke, my mind at once conceived what he 
believed applicable to Christ, might with equal force 
apply to the Jewish nation ; but the minor parts of 
course did not strike me, till I studied every sepa- 
rate verse ; and then, all did appear clear and light, 
and thus permitted me, by this extraordinary pro- 
phecy, yet more firmly to believe, it was not only 
the dispersion of the Jews amongst heathen na- 
tions that was foretold, but also amongst other 



SABBATH THOUGHTS. 31 

nations who worshipped God, though not as Moses 
did. 

The rest of Mr. R. Anderson's beautiful lecture 
may apply to every nation, to every faith ; all who 
heard it might be instructed and edified. 



SABBATH THOUGHTS 



TWENTY-SIXTH VERSE OF THE FIRST CHAPTER OF 
GENESIS. 



3* (33) 



SABBATH THOUGHTS 



TWENTY-SIXTH VERSE OF THE FIRST CHAPTER OF 
GENESIS. 



The Christians lay mucli stress on the following 
(26th) verse of the 1st chapter of Genesis : " And 
God said, let us make man in our image, after our 
likeness." They urged that it clearly denotes the 
Trinity in unity ; that God spoke to His Son, the 
equal to His Father in essence, by whom all things 
are made ; that this belief is confirmed by several 
passages of the Old Testament, being written in the 
same style ; and more particularly as the Hebrew 
word, Elohim, which in English is translated Crod, 
is in the original in the plural number. I mean no 
disrespect to the Christian, but yet I must answer 
this suggestion, for the satisfaction of my own heart. 

The belief of Trinity in unity, is the only part of 

(35) 



86 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

the Christian code which I cannot comprehend; 
and is the only part I shrink from with horror. 
How can they explain this ? How can Father, Son, 
and Holy Ghost be three persons and one God? 
Would God divide Himself? Would He deign to 
visit earth, and mingle with the worms He hath 
formed, as one of them ? The more I think on this 
part of the Christian belief, the more puzzled I be- 
come ; and it produces questions, which I dare not 
think of, much less behold embodied upon paper, so 
derogatory to the infinite nature of God, that they 
become to my mind almost impious. 

It is my belief, that it is the combination of all 
that is pure, holy, glorious, mighty, merciful, benefi- 
cent, powerful, just, and awful, that occasions the 
Hebrew word Elohim to be in the plural number, 
being a stronger and more expressive manner of 
signifying the Almighty Being, whose works they 
are relating, than it could have been in the singular ; 
I could conceive it an idiom of the language, un- 
translatable, at least with precise exactness, in any 
other language ; and we are therefore compelled to 
express it by the word " God;" which word, by its 
association in our mind, from the earliest age, signi- 
fies all those glorious attributes which are in He- 
brew expressed by a word of the plural number. 
The sentences we have copied above mean nothing 



SABBATH THOUGHTS. 37 

more to me than were they written, as in every 
other part, in the singular number, and are merely 
expressive of that Mighty Power, at whose word the 
world of loveliness arose from chaos. The Lord 
looked around Him, below; on every side were 
emblems of His might. His wisdom. If for one 
moment we may be allowed to speak, to think of 
this heavenly essence ; this inconceivable Creator, 
according to the humble nature of earthly and pol- 
luted minds, we would say that at that instant the 
Lord felt the full extent of His wondrous power ; 
He beheld and saw, and it was good; and there 
wanted but one creation more to complete His work, 
and the Lord said. Let us make man. And the 
plural number of that little word, it is evident, sig- 
nifies but Himself, and His own power. It was 
to express His grandeur. His majesty, with more 
force than He could have done had He said, let me 
make man. To be emphatic, to be forcible, the 
imperative mood, even in common conversation, 
must be in the plural number; then why should 
types and shadows be drawn from so very simple a 
circumstance ? It does not appear to me to relate to 
the Lord and his angels, as the Jews believe ; nor, 
as being emblamatical of Trinity and Unity, as is 
the Christian faith. It is to me nothing more than 
an emphatic command of the one sole God ; alluding 



4 

3S ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

to and following that extent of power, which bade 
Him frame the world, in all its beauty of animate 
and inanimate nature, from a chaos, dark, obscure, 
impenetrable ; and is it at all improbable, that kings 
and governors, believing themselves the representa- 
tives and delegates of the Deity, should make use 
of the expression originally used by Him, thereby 
to express dignity and majesty ? 

The term " Behold, the man has become as one of 
us," means nothing more to me than, as in the for- 
mer case, an expression to render the sentence more 
forcible; besides which, had the Lord said instead, 
" Behold, the man has become as me eras us," would 
it not have been derogatory of His Omnipotence, thus 
to compare a creature He had formed, with Himself? 
Do we not shrink from reading that sentence as I have 
written it ? It surpasses our feeble conception ; our 
senses cannot pierce so deeply into the nature, the ex- 
alted, ethereal nature of our Maker ; we are not per- 
mitted, never were destined, to be brought in such 
close approximation with our God, as we should fancy 
ourselves, did we read in His sacred book, " Behold, 
the man has become as me, or, as us, to know good 
and evil;" but by saying 07ie of us, the feeble minds 
of his creatures can better understand the sentence. 
Become as one of us, signifies to me, become pos- 
sessed of one of the innumerable attributes of God ; 



SABBATH THOUGHTS. 39 

namely, the knowledge of good and of evil ; not 
signifying, as the Christians have it, either His 
angels, or what they believe His Son. Would God 
compare man with Himself, again I ask, inconceiv- 
able as he is ? We know that man, if he walks in 
a perfect way, is said to possess some of the attri- 
butes of God ; consequently, my version of this 
sentence cannot be deemed profane. Adam and 
Eve, ere their fall, were perfect, for they w^ere un- 
contaminated by sin ; they were as the hand of God 
had made them ; and yet the terms now used to good 
men, cannot apply to them. They could not prac- 
tise universal charity, because they were the only 
inhabitants of the newly created world. They 
could not practise submission, patience under afflic- 
tions, resignation to the will of God ; for nought but 
prosperity and happiness were around them. They 
could not prove their love for Him, as good men 
now do, because thei'e were no snares laid by the 
irreligious, no temptations of this world to turn them 
astray ; they could not do good to their fellow crea- 
tures, because there were none to whom they could 
do good : and therefore, though pure and innocent, 
it was only the purity and innocence of creatures 
fresh from the Almighty's hand ; not that goodness 
of those men of the present day, who, when possessing 
those attributes we have above enumerated, are 



40 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

said to walk in God's own path, to possess, as far 
as the inconceivable distance of heaven and earth 
will permit, some of the infinite and glorious attri- 
butes of their beneficent Maker. 

Adam and Eve as yet knew only good; evil was 
as unknown to them as to the little infant that 
clings to his mother's breast (for I am no believer 
in original sin) ; therefore they had no oj^portunity 
to resist its influence. God, though his essence is 
goodness alone, goodness inconceivable, yet knoweth 
the extent, the power of evil ; and consequently, 
when his creatures did eat of the tree of knowledge 
of good and evil. His exclamation was, "Behold, 
man has become as one of us ;" meaning, man pos- 
sessed in a degree the power of his Maker, the 
power at least of knowing good and evil ; and there- 
fore, though His mercy would, have preserved His 
creatures pure, good, uncontaminated, even by one 
evil thought, however fleeting ; and therefore hap- 
pier than any, even the best men now can be ; yet 
when once they had disobeyed His command, which 
was given in mercy, the very knowledge they 
had obtained became their own punishment, and 
God sent them forth from Paradise ; for as they now 
possessed in a degree His knowledge of the existence 
of good and evil, their future virtue, future reward, 
depended on the resistance to that evil, q.t/'x adherence 



SABBATH THOUGHTS. 41 

to the good ; whereas, had they obeyed, they would 
have continued happy, for they would never have 
known evil, and consequently would have had no 
need to resist it. Had the Almighty said. Behold, 
man has become like me, or like us ; it would, 
though perhaps signifying the same thing, have 
placed the created too nearly on a level with his 
inconceivable Creator ; but by the term one of us, 
it is to me clearly expressive of what I have above 
explained at length ; that man possessed one of the 
innumerable, inconceivable attributes of God. When 
the serpent tempted Eve, these were the words he used 
(verse 5, chapter 3) : " For God doth know, that in the 
V. day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, 
and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil." 
This proves my doctrine, that evil was unknown to 
the newly created ; and to tempt Eve to eat, the 
serpent promised that they should be as gods — he 
did not say as God ! No, evil as he was, the 
very spirit of evil, he dared not say that ; even he 
put the word in the plural number. And here too, 
man was not raised so much on a level with his 
Creator as he would have been, had the serpent 
said. And he shall become as God ! As God know- 
eth good and evil, so by obtaining that knowledge, 
man shall become like a god, or like gods. 

In the English language, the placing the article a 



42 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

before this awful word, or adding s thereunto, 
makes all the difference. From the expression, 
like God, man's fallen nature shrinks appalled; his 
lowly conception cannot stretch so far — cannot suffi- 
ciently pierce the veil of glory that shrouds the 
throne of his Maker, whose smallest ray is enough 
to dazzle and annihilate him ; but by the sentence, 
like a god, or like gods, we on the instant compre- 
hend, enter into, fully and clearly conceive, that 
possessing one of the attributes of God, the know- 
ledge of good and evil, we may believe ourselves a 
god, but not like our Creator. 

To possess one of His infinite appendages, the 
tempter knew was all-sufficient. The work of God 
was not content with the mercy, the munificence 
around her; she would exalt herself, and fell! 
God knew how the tempter had spoken, and He 
veiled Himself. He spoke not in that awful, that 
inconceivable Unity that is His ;* but to make His 
words clear to the feeble understanding of His 
creatures. He said, " Behold, man has become as one 
of us ;" as gods or a god, not as me, or as us — or 
rather as I am, as we are. 

The next sentence we would notice is contained 
in the 11th chapter of Genesis, 7th verse: "Let 
us go down," This sentence is of course the same 
expression of mighty poAver, as that in the 1st 



SABBATH THOUGHTS. 43 

chapter ; " Let us make man," written in the plural 
number, expressing much more power and energy, 
than written in the singular number, Let me go 
down ; and consequently cannot to me be typical of 
anything, save of that supreme unutterable power 
which belongs to the Almighty, and caused Him to 
speak in the plural number, to accord with the 
Hebrew word Elohim, which we have already said 
is descriptive of the infinite, inefiable attribute of 
the Lord. These expressions are now no longer 
mystical, or dark ; I have noticed them because I 
wished in writing to refute the ingenious note in 
Hewlet's translation of the Scriptures, for the satis- 
faction of my own heart. I know that his doctrine 
must be false, to one of my belief; but on these sub- 
jects the mind is not satisfied with thoughts flitting 
across the brain. We may think, and think long 
and well, but other thoughts arise, and chase those 
we would wish to dwell on, from the tablet of the 
mind, and then it is some trouble to recall them ; 
but once embodied upon paper, once assuming a 
clear, defined form, palpable to the sight, if we may 
use that expression, the longings of the mind are 
appeased, its imperfect conceptions rendered per- 
fect, and we may indulge in other fancies, without 
fear that these sacred thoughts shall ever be for- 
gotten. We have but to glance over the page, and 



44 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

every idea returns clear and light to the heart 
whence it sprung. 

The Unity of God ; that inconceivable Unity is 
the foundation of my belief, of the belief of the 
whole Jewish nation ; taught us by the mouth of 
God, when He spake unto Moses on Mount Sinai, 
repeated in almost every page of the sacred writ- 
ings ; the grand cause of difference between the 
Jewish and the Christian faiths, brought yet more 
home to the heart of the Israelite, by every argu- 
ment the follower of Christ brings forward to sup- 
port his belief. To allude to every part of the 
Bible whence this truth is taken, to quote every 
sentence that supports our belief, would be a task, 
interesting indeed, but endless ; but I would ask, if 
the word Elohim, and the sentences we have noticed 
above, are typical of the Trinity ? do those awful 
and mystic words " I AM THAT I AM," tend to- 
wards establishing the belief of three persons and 
one God ? When commanding, God spoke in the 
plural number, to designate His majesty, His power. 
When Moses, inspired with sacred ardour, asked by 
what name he should speak of the Lord to the peo- 
ple ; God answered in the singular number, thus 
placing the seal upon His unity. I AM THAT I 
AM, must surely signify one, but one ; here no double 
meaning can be found. He called not His name 



SABBATH THOUGHTS. 45 

Elohim ; if he had, then indeed there might have 
been some slight, though very slight assistance 
(though still no ground) to the Christian code ; but 
this He does not do, except when speaking of Him- 
self as the God of Abraham, of Isaac, of Jacob, 
■which is evidently secondary ; for when in answer 
to Moses' request, to know by what name he should 
speak from Him to the children of Israel, the Lord 
said : " Thus shalt thou say unto the children of 
Israel, I A3I hath, sent me unto you." And can 
these sacred words ever be regarded as being types 
of more than one ? No Christian has, I believe, 
yet attempted to prove, that this chapter contains 
types and shadows of the Trinity; and yet may we 
not with all humility and charity ask why, if the 
belief of Trinity be a true one, all allusion to it in 
this very important chapter should be totally left 
out ? God knows I mean no profanation to His 
Holy Name, no disrespect to any faith, more particu- 
larly the Christian, whose moral code I so admire ; 
but yet would I urge, that if God wished to prove the 
existence of His Son, would He not in all proba- 
bility, in answer to Moses, have used some expres- 
sion to denote the plurality of spirits ? instead of 
which the expression He used, can only signify one, 
one in body as in essence, one incorporeal, incon- 
ceivable, one ever existing, ever existent Being. 
4 * 



46 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

To these awful words, no two meanings can possibly 
be attached, and surely we do not err, in pronounc- 
ing this chapter to be one of the most important, 
most sacred, most impressive, in the Old Testament. 
We cannot peruse it attentively without a feeling of 
awe, a thrilling of the heart, a quickening of every 
pulse ; when we think, that God Himself spoke to 
His good and favoured servant, conversed with him, 
deigned Himself to instruct him. Can we not feel 
the awful solemnity of the event ; feel it even as we 
read ? doth it not speak of mercy ineffable, infinite, 
of beneficence unlimited, inexhaustible ? God the 
Creator, clothed in Majesty that no mortal eye 
-might behold and live, yet deigned to hold converse 
with man, the created ; in His boundless love He 
did this, that He might rescue His people from the 
grasp of their unrelenting foes, and while doing this, 
Himself proclaimed His Unity. 

In the Commandments, those sacred laws alike 
observed by Jew and Christian, the Unity of God 
is again brought clearly forth ; 20th chapter Exo- 
dus, 2d verse, "J am the Lord thy Crod,'" &c. : 3d 
verse, " Thou shall have no other gods before me :" 
5th verse, "/or I the Lord thy God am a jealous 
Crod:" and again in the 34th chapter, 14th verse, 
" For thou shalt worship no other God : for the 
Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God :" 



SABBATH THOUGHTS. 47 

And if Christ were, as his followers believe, the 
equal to His Father in essence, why do we find 
these sacred portions of the Bible so constantly 
written in the singular ? If the sentences I have 
written on, Let us make man, &c., are symbolical 
of the Father and Son, may we not, with equal 
justice, look for plurality of expression in these 
portions, which are certainly even more sacred and 
important than the first chapters of Genesis ? We 
look, but we find them not ; and so convinced were 
the Israelites o£ His awful Unity, that twice every 
day they were, and still are, commanded to repeat 
this part of their belief; they ever did, and ever 
will do so, for what other signification can be given 
to the 4th verse, 6th chapter of Deuteronomy, 
" Hear, oh Israel : The Lord our Cfod is ONE 
LORD;" than that it proclaims the foundation of 
our creed, the Unity of God. 

I might bring forward numberless proofs from the 
books of Moses to support my argument, but those 
I have already taken will for the present suffice ; 
but I cannot close this subject, without glancing at 
the Prophecies, in which the Unity of God is repeat- 
ed over and over again, in forcible and unanswerable 
language. To prevent all misconception, the Al- 
mighty here, when commanding, does not once speak 
in the plural number, as He did at first. In every 



48 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

page, which as we read draws us closer to God, He 
speaks but as One — One alone ; and again let me ask, 
if the union of Father and Son caused the Almighty 
in some few sentences to speak in the plural num- 
ber, may we not with justice expect to find the same 
expressions, in writings so filled with prophetic 
visions of the future, as Isaiah, Jeremiah, &;c., in- 
stead of which the singular is ever used ; the Lord 
spoke of Himself as One: "Look at me and be ye 
saved, all the ends of the earth, for / am God, and 
there is none else." "Zhave swomi hj myself :" 
Isaiah, chapter 45, verses 22 and 23. " Remem- 
ber former things of old, for I am God, and there is 
none else, I am God, and there is none like me.'' 
"-T bring near my righteousness, &c., 7ny salvation 
shall not tarry ; and I will place salvation in Zion 
for Israel my glory :" Isaiah, chapter 46, verses 9 
and 13. "As for our Redeemer, the Lord of hosts 
is His name, the Holy One of Israel :" Isaiah, 
chapter 47, verse 4. " Hearken unto me, oh Jacob 
and Israel, my called ; / am he, I am the first, I 
also am the last." "J, even I, have spoken:" 
Isaiah, chapter 48, verses 12 and 15. I might 
transcribe whole chapters of this prophet, contain- 
ing allusions to His Unity, but it needs not, for the 
general appellation of the Lord, throughout the 



SABBATH THOUGHTS. 49 

whole of Isaiah, who is termed by Christians the 
most evangelical prophet, is, the Holy One of Israel ; 
and surely that term cannot be made typical of the 
Trinity, three persons and one God ; it cannot sig- 
nify more than One Person — One in essence. One in 
power. The other prophecies contain equally clear 
proofs. " Therefore, behold, 1, even 7, will utterly 
forget you, and I will forsake you and the city that 
/ gave you and your fathers, and cast you out of 
my presence, and I will bring an everlasting re- 
proach upon you:" Jeremiah, chapter 23, verses 
39 and 40. " And I will bring you out from the 
people," &c. "And I will bring you into the 
wilderness of the people, and there will I plead 
with you face to face." "Like as I pleaded with 
your fathers in the wilderness of the land of Egypt, 
BO will I plead with you, saith the Lord Cfod:" 
Ezekiel, chapter 20, verses 34, 35, 36. " So will 
J make my holy name known in the midst of Israel ; 
and / will not let them pollute ony holy name any 
more : and the heathen shall know that I am the 
Lord, the Moly One of Israel:" Ezekiel, chapter 39, 
verse 7. 

Would not these sacred verses, then, clearly 
prove that the Lord desired to be considered as 
one, by the children of Israel? thus, as it were, 



50 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

entirely and impressively dividing them from 
every other nation, by the sacred proclamation, 
" The Lord God of Israel is one;" do not these re- 
peated assertions', "J will or /am," and the expres- 
sion the Jloli/ One, entirely prove the fallacy of that 
docti'ine, which inculcates that the terms, "Let us 
make man," "Behold, man has become like one of 
us," &c., are symbolical of Trinity; for if God did 
deign in mystic language to allude once, to the union 
of Father and Son, may we not with humility ask, if 
it is not equally likely He should do so, in those sacred 
books that prophesy the future, when that supposed 
Son would be, by the greater part of the known 
world, recognised and acknowledged. But in those 
books, the great Creator never speaks in the plural 
number. He speaks of Himself as one, who would 
do all that He promiseth, by His single arm, assist- 
ed by no other power. The Christians believe their 
Messiah equal to God : a heavenly master, not an 
earthly. We look for a temporal prince of the line 
of Judah, a man whom God shall raise to be under 
Him, as David, a prince, or ruler, not equal with 
Him in essence, nor in power. But this subject I 
shall not treat on now; I may, with God's blessing, 
make it the subject of future reflections. This has 
been written merely to prove to my own satisfac- 



SABBATH THOUGHTS. 51 

tion the Unity of God ; to refute arguments brought 
forward to support the belief of Trinity. Faintly 
indeed have I written on a theme, that must be, 
even to learned men, inexhaustible ; but my own 
mind, through the mercy of God, is satisfied ; and 
for that blessing may His name be praised. He is 
one, and there is no Unity like His Unity. 



THE 



PROPHECIES OF ISAIAH. 



" Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign ; Behold, a 
virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name 
Immauuel." — Isaiah, viii. 14. 



(53) 



THE 



PROPHECIES OF ISAIAH. 



" Therefore the Lord Himself shall give you a sign ; Behold, a 
virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name 
Immanuel." Isaiah, chapter 7, verse 14. 

The prophecy contained in the 7th chapter of 
Isaiah — "Behold, a virgin shall conceive," &c., is 
one that is generally supposed to favour the Chris- 
tian doctrine, if not to be its foundation. The 
last few years, however, even Christian divines 
acknowledge that the assertion will not hear strict 
examination, and have, I believe in many cases, 
given up these verses as alluding to their Messiah. 

The Jewish explanation of the chapter is very 
simple. In the reign of Ahaz, King of Judah, 
Rezin, King of Syria, and Pekah (son of Remaliah), 
King of Israel, leagued together to make war against 
Jerusalem. This confederacy so terrified Ahaz, as 

(55) 



56 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

to deprive him and his house of all spirit to under- 
take the war, and also of all faith in the Eternal. 
Notwithstanding this, the Lord, in His great mercy, 
bade Ahaz neither be faint-hearted nor cast down; 
as the league " should neither stand, nor their in- 
tentions come to pass." (By Ephraim, throughout 
the chapter, the kingdom of Israel is designated.) 
Still Ahaz doubted, though God had said, " If ye 
will not believe me^ ye shall not he established" 
And the Lord desired him to ask a sign of the Lord 
his God, " either in the depth beneath, or the height 
above." Even this, Ahaz refused to do still, from 
^ want of sufficient faith. God reproved him, and 
promised Himself to give a sign — " Behold, a virgin 
shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his 
name, Cfod is with us : butter and honey shall he eat, 
that he may know to refuse the evil and choose the 
good : and before the child shall know to refuse the 
evil and choose the good, the land that thou abhor- 
rest shall be forsaken of both her kings." 

Now, even granting that the Hebrew word trans- 
lated virgin means virgin and nothing else, and that 
the sign was to be the birth of a child in a super- 
natural manner, it has, and can have nothing to do 
with Jesus, as it was to, and did, take place in the 
reign of Ahaz, king of Judah, several hundred 
years before the Christian era. The word, however, 



PROPHECIES OF ISAIAH. 57 

does not only signify virgin, but a young tvoman ; 
and, as such, most probably indicates the wife of 
Isaiah, who bore a son as a sign, lefore the usual 
time, and was commanded, by the words, "Butter 
and honey shall he eat," &c., to rear him from his 
birth as a Nazarite (the laws for which are in the 
6th chapter of Numbers : and their practical illus- 
tration in Judges, chapter 13, verses 2 to 6). By 
being set apart, from his birth, to the service of 
his God, and kept from all strong drink and excit- 
ing meats, he was more easily to be able to " refuse 
the evil and choose the good." But even before 
this was attained, by the child being sufficiently old to 
do this, the land which Ahaz abhorred and dreaded, 
Syria and Ephraim, should be forsaken by both her 
kings, Rezin and Pekah ; whose confederacy had & • 
terrified Judah. And this took place exactly a 
prophesied, as is written in the 2d Book of Kings 
chapter 16, verses 5 to 10, and the 30th verse oi 
chapter 15 ; also in the 2d Book of Chronicles 
chapter 28, verses 1 to 26. The remaining verses 
of the 7th chapter of Isaiah, will be found to pro- 
phesy and agree exactly with these chapters in the 
historical books above mentioned, as also the whole 
of chapter 8th of Isaiah. 

Not satisfied with the grant of one sign, the in- 
5* 



m ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES 

finite mercy of the Eternal granted another, in the 
promise of the birth of a second son, by the Pro- 
phetess (the wife of Isaiah). Witnesses were select- 
ed to bear testimony to the prophecy : that before 
the promised child had knowledge " to cry ' My 
father, and my mother,' the riches of Damascus and 
the spoil of Samaria shall be taken away before the 
king of Assyria:" Isaiah, chapter 8, verse 4. 

And so it was — the child was born (not now 
miraculously) : and by comparing this verse with the 
historical chapters before mentioned, its fulfilment 
is evident. 

Again, the strong proof that both these promised 
signs were the children of Isaiah by his wife (how- 
ever the birth of the first might have been attended 
with something unusual), is found in the 18th verse 
of this same 8th chapter : " Behold, I and the child- 
ren whom the Lord hath given me are for signs and 
for wonders in Israel, from the Lord of hosts, which 
dwelleth in Mount Zion." Does not this agree ex- 
actly with verse 14 of the 7th chapter, and verses 
3 and 4 of the 8th chapter ? If the first child — who 
received the name of Immanuel, in his very name 
to reiterate the promise that God is with us — were 
the child of a virgin living thousands of years after- 
wardSf or even of a virgin unconnected with Isaiah, 



PROPHECIES OF ISAIAH. 59 

what can the Prophet mean by saying, " I and the 
children -whom the Lord hath given me are for signs 
and wonders," &c. ? If only Maher-shalal-hash-baz 
had been his son, he would have said child, not 
children ; but, by the use of the word children, and 
signs, and wonders, instead of a sign and a wonder, 
it is as clear as if it had been written in direct 
words, that Immanuel and Maher-shalal-hash-baz 
were hoth the Prophet's sons, and both given as 
signs to a people sunk in iniquity — to prove that 
God was with them still, however they might dis- 
obey and disbelieve Him. That something miracu- 
lous attended the birth of Immanuel might he ; but 
that his mother was, or became the wife of Isaiah, 
and her son acknowledged to be also the Prophet's, 
is proved by Isaiah's own words : " I and the 
children whom the Lord hath given w^e." The 
verse, therefore, however often quoted, has nothing 
whatever to do with the foundation or support of 
Christianity. It is a simple incident in Jewish 
history, confined to the reign of Ahaz and the peo- 
ple of Judea — the children of the prophet sinking 
into insignificancy as soon as the prophecy connect- 
ed with them was fulfilled : nor will the 8th verse 
of chapter 8 contradict this. The end of verse 10 
may just as well be translated " Oh Immanuel" 



60 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

as the end of verse 8 : " For God is with us" is the 
meaning of both, and so ought both to be translated. 
" And he shall pass through Judah ; he shall over- 
flow and go over, he shall reach even to the neck ; 
and by stretching out of his wings shall fill the 
breadth of thy landj" "For God is with us." 



INTERPRETATION 



FIFTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 



(61) 



INTERPRETATION 



FIFTY-THIRD CHAPTER OF ISAIAH. 



Verse 2 : Hebrew. — " For he grew uf English 
— " he shall grow up before us as a tender plant," 
&c. : "he hath no form or comeliness," &c. 

The sense is, the Gentiles shall say to each other 
in astonishment, Who believed what we heard con- 
cerning them, and to whom was the interest the 
Lord took in them made known ? For it was a 
despised people, feeble and wretched, like a tender 
plant growing out of a thirsty soil : their appear- 
ance was abject, and there was nothing attractive in 
their manners. 

Verse 3 : " He was despised and rejected of men," 

&c. 

They were despised and rejected, and held in ab- 

(63) 



64 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

horrence, they were men of sorrow, familiar with 
suffering : we looked upon them with dislike ; we hid 
our faces from them, and esteemed them not. 

Verse 4: "Surely he hath borne our griefs," &c. 

Surely their sufferings are as great, as if they 
had borne the sins of the whole world, or they are 
nevertheless the means appointed to remove the 
sufferings of an afflicted world ; for God hath con- 
nected universal happiness with their prosperity, 
and the end of their sufferings is the beginning of 
our joys. 

Verse 4 : " Yet did we esteem him stricken," &c. 

Nevertheless we consider them a God-abandoned 
race, and devoted to wretchedness by him, for hav- 
ing crucified their king. 

Verse 5: "But he was wounded for" (or "by," 
in the Hebrew), &c. 

Instead of being the victims of God's wrath, they 
were wounded through our cruelty, they were 
bruised by our iniquitous treatment; we being 
suffered to do so, to chasten them for their sins, 
and to prove their obedience ; and this chastisement 
is that by which our peace is to be effected ; for 
their chastisement and probation being finished, 
God will by them impart and diffuse peace and 
happiness. 

Verse 6 : "All wc, like sheep," &c. 



PROPHECIES OF ISAIAH. 65 

But it is we who have sinned more than they, and 
we have all gone astray in our ignorance, being 
without the knowledge of God and His law. Yet 
the Lord has permitted us to make them the sub- 
jects of our impressive iniquity. 

Verse 7 : " He was oppressed or exposed to pecu- 
niary exactions, and was afflicted," &c., verses 7, 
8, and 9. 

How passive and unresisting were they when 
oppressed ! they were afflicted, and complained not : 
when, through false accusations and mistaken cruelty, 
they were plundered and condemned to die, they 
went like a lamb to the slaughter ; and as a sheep 
before her shearers is dumb, so they opened not 
their mouths. They were taken from the dungeon 
to be slain, they were wantonly massacred, and every 
man was their foe ; for by the thoughtless crimes 
of my people they suffered: yet, notwithstanding 
their graves were appointed with the wicked, they 
were rich in their deaths. This did God appoint 
them, because they had not done iniquity. 

Verse 10: "Yet it pleased the Lord," &c., "he 
shall see his seed, he shall prolong his days," &c. 

This clearly proves that this prophecy cannot 
refer to any individual, but it may be applied to 
the Jewish nation, because one individual cannot 
6 



66 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

be put to death, and yet see his seed and prolong 
his days. 

Verse 11 : " After or on account of the travail of 
his soul," &c. 

That is, after and for their sufferings, they shall be 
abundantly rewarded ; by their superior knowledge 
shall they make many wise, " for many nations shall 
come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the moun- 
tain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of 
Jacob ; and He will teach us of His ways, and we 
will walk in His path:" Micah, 4th chapter, 2d 
verse. 

Verse 12 : " Therefore will I give him," &c. 

Therefore their reward shall be exceeding great ; 
because, for the sake of their duty, they willingly 
exposed themselves to death, and were accounted as 
transgressors, and bore the cruelties inflicted by 
many, and made intercession for them that afflicted 
them. 

That the above prophecy can by no means relate 
to Jesus Christ, the following remarks will plainly 
show : 

1st. Jesus was certainly not exalted and magni- 
fied, and made very great upon earth, but Avas put 
to a cruel and disgraceful death. 

2d. He was not oppressed by pecuniary exac- 
tions, as is said of the subject of this prophecy. 



PROPHECIES OF ISAIAH. 67 

3d. He could not have been taken from prison 
to. die, because he was never in prison. 

4th. He did not see His seed, nor prolong His 
days, since He died childiess ; and we cannot per- 
mit the word seed to be spiritualized on this occa- 
sion, for the word seed, in the Old Testament, means 
nothing else than literally children ; which it is 
not pretended Christ ever had, nor could He pro- 
long His days, when He was cut off in His 33d year. 

5th. Who were the strong and mighty with whom 
he divided the spoil ? Were they the twelve fisher- 
men of Galilee? and what was the spoil divided? 
Jesus was to make His grave with the wicked, and 
be with the rich in His death ; whereas he did ex- 
actly the contrary : he was with the wicked (the 
two thieves) in his death, and with the rich (Joseph 
of Arimathea) in His grave or tomb. In a word, 
the application of this prophecy to Jesus is now 
GIVEN UP by the most learned Hebrew scholars, 
who allow that the literal sense of the original can 
never be understood of Him.* 

* See Priestly's Notes on the Scriptures. 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. 



6* 



(69, 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. 



The Prophecies of Daniel cannot be divided into 
sections, as those of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. 
There is a mysterious solemnity in his, which must 
be treated of separately ; and the vision of Nebu- 
chadnezzar must claim our attention first. Chapter 2, 
verses 31, 32, 33, 34 and 35: " Thou, king, sawest, 
and behold, a great image. This great image, whose 
brightness was excellent, stood before thee ; and the 
form thereof was terrible. This image's head was 
of fine gold, his breast and his arms of silver, his 
belly and his thighs of brass, his legs of iron, his 
feet part of iron and part of clay. Thou sawest 
till that a stone was cut without hands, which smote 
the image upon his feet, that were of iron and clay, 
and brake them in pieces. Then was the iron, the 
clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to 
pieces together, and became like the chafi" of the 

(71) 



72 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

summer threshing-floors, and the -wind carried them 
away, that no place was found for them ; and the 
stone that smote the image became a great moun- 
tain, and filled the whole earth." 

The next verses contain Daniel's mystic inter- 
pretation—verses 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 48, 44 : " And 
wheresoever, &c. Thou art this head of gold. And 
after thee shall arise another kingdom inferior to 
thee, and another third kingdom, of brass, which 
shall bear rule over all the earth. And the fourth 
kingdom shall be strong ; forasmuch as iron break- 
eth in pieces and subdueth ail things ; and as iron 
that breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and 
bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and toes 
part of potter's clay and part of iron, the kingdom 
shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the 
strength of the iron, forasmuch as thou sawest the 
iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of the 
feet were part of iron and part of clay, so the king- 
dom shall be partly strong and partly broken. 
And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, 
they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men ; 
but they shall not cleave one to another, even as 
iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of 
these kings shall the God of heaven set up a king- 
dom which shall never be destroyed ; and the king- 
dom shall not be left to other people, but it shall 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL- 73 

break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, 
and it shall stand for ever." 

This prophecy is by Christians thus interpreted. 
The head of gold is the Babylonian, the arms of 
silver the Persian, the belly of brass the Macedo- 
nian, the legs of iron, the Roman, and the kingdom 
then promised to last for ever, the Christian. If it 
were indeed so, the preceding Prophecies of Isaiah, 
Jeremiah, and Ezekiel must stand for nought : for 
if the Jews were indeed subdued and broken in 
pieces, and scattered as chaff before the wind, by 
this overwhelming stone, why need the restoration 
of Israel, the preservation of Jaeoh, be so distinctly 
promised? This interpretation can never satisfy 
the mind of a true Israelite ; and the following 
I believe to be the true meaning of Daniel's myste- 
rious words: the Babylonian, the Grecian, the 
Roman, the Christian ; and lastly in the time of the 
kingdom of Christ, the God of Heaven shall set up 
a kingdom that shall never be destroyed — the king- 
dom of David and his servant Jacob. 

The theory of the Christians appears at a first 
perusal unanswerably true and good. The Persian 
succeeded Nebuchadnezzar; the Grecian extended 
its greatness far and near, and the Roman certainly 
might well be termed strong as iron, breaking in 
pieces and subduing all nations : under Constantino 



74 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

the Great, it became two kingdoms ; the Roman de- 
clined, and became partly broken ; the Turkish rose 
in strength. So far it appears to coincide, but on a 
closer scrutiny, we shall find many facts that can- 
not possibly be made serviceable to the Christian 
doctrine. 

In the first place, great as Alexander was, high 
as Greece rose in his time in the scale of kingdoms, 
it never yet obtained dominion of the ivliole world, 
as it is said of the brass kingdom. Alexander ob- 
tained not rule over all the earth — 400 years had 
the Roman government existed when he appeared, 
and Rome successfully resisted the power of all 
neighbouring states. Whilst Rome remained un- 
conquered, no kingdom could be said to have do- 
minion over all the earth. The aspiring wishes of 
Alexander led him to hope for the subjugation of 
his mighty rival ; but death appeared ere these am- 
bitious wishes were put in force ; and Greece, divid- 
ed and broken, fell in after years an easy prey to 
Rome. 

The kingdom of brass then, it is clear, cannot 
apply to Greece, which never had dominion over all 
the earth : but to Rome that part of Daniel's pro- 
phecy may with much more justice relate. It did 
" bear rule" over the whole world, as far at least 
as was then known. Every other kingdom bowed 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. 75 

to this great empire ; savage nations were discovei-ed 
and enslaved, and Rome raised her head as unri- 
valled mistress of the earth. It is clear that the 
kingdom of iron does not denote the Romans, by 
the following simple fact ; Daniel says, the kingdom 
was to be divided as shown by the feet being partly 
iron and partly clay ; it was to be two governments, 
ruled by two separate kings, that " shall not cleave 
to each other ;" and it was to be in the time of these 
kings, these two kingdoms, that God would set up 
that kingdom "which was to last for ever." Now 
according to this, if this promised kingdom related 
to the Christian, Christ ought to have appeared in 
the time of the eastern and western empires, in- 
stead of which he first appeared in the reign of the 
Emperor Tiberius, when Rome was in its pristine 
glory, when under one emperor she governed " all 
the earth." If therefore this prophecy related to 
him, the Saviour of the Christians, why need 
Daniel have so particularly declared, that ere the 
promised kingdom of God should arise, the kingdom 
of iron was to be broken and become part clay and 
part iron, partly strong and partly broken, whereas 
Christ appeared in the very height of the empire's 
splendour ; there was no clay mingled with the iron, 
there were no two kingdoms; there was but one 
grand empire, one sovereign prince ; and therefore 



76 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

if the kingdom of Christ is the promised kingdom 
of God, Daniel, great prophet as he was, must have 
prophesied falsely. But why should we think thus, 
when, by applying the kingdom of iron to that 
which is now in existence, the government of Christ, 
we find his prophecy correct and clear, even to the 
slightest point. 

Strong as iron was the Roman Catholic faith; 
and as iron breaketh in pieces and subdueth all 
things, so did the Roman Catholic religion break in 
pieces all other faiths, and subdued every nation 
that presumed to set up a religion for itself. In 
the time of the heathen nations, or since, has there 
been one government that exercised such absolute 
power? one ruler that beheld the world so com- 
pletely under his rod, as the Popes of Rome ? There 
aever was one, nor will there ever be again such 
complete authority exercised by one man, over not 
only the lives, but the welfare, the happiness, ^and 
the misery of his fellow creatures. Kings bowed 
down at his footstool, not only before the Pope him- 
self but before his legates, men far beneath the 
royal rank. Whole nations trembled at his frown ; 
countries were laid waste ; religious acts were sus- 
pended ; kings themselves were under the fear of 
murder from the hands of their subjects, if the edict 
of anathema and interdiction went forth from the 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. 77 

lips of the all-powerful Pope, since even their sub- 
jects would have deemed it a merit to assassinate 
them. At whose instigation were those fearful 
wars, which, under the name of religion, sent mur- 
der, rapine, and innumerable deeds of wickedness 
among unoffending nations ? At whose nod did 
those mighty forces march forth ? Was not the 
Pope supreme authority ? Did he not subdue and 
break in pieces whole nations ; and, under the name 
of religion, compel them to own his power ? Had 
the Romans, in their most glorious, most victorious 
days, such absolute power, not only over nations, 
but over individuals, as the Pope of Rome ? 

In their early monarchy we find many of the Ro- 
man kings either murdered by their subjects, or 
forced to abdicate. During the period of the Com- 
monwealth Rome could not be termed that kingdom 
of iron, which was to break in pieces and subdue all 
nations ; it was itself internally broken and divided. 
And in the days of the Empire, though we find the 
emperors exercising dominion over all the earth, yet 
how very many were massacred by their own sub- 
jects, and how few, though dreaded at a distance, 
were acknowledged, obeyed, and dreaded by the 
native subjects — the citizens of Rome. 

Such was not the case with the Pope. Alike 
feared and reverenced by those at a distance and 
7 



78 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

those around his throne, what daring and sacri- 
legious hand was ever raised in threatening wrath 
against the Pope ? Ere this kingdom of iron was 
broken, what would not have been the fate of a 
wretch so reprobate ? — Kings would have sought out 
the offender ; countries would have risen in arms ; 
and had a prince of royal birth committed such a 
deed, no death alone would have been deemed suf- 
ficient for his punishment. 

The government of the Popes then was that figu- 
ratively termed the kingdom of iron — not in terri- 
torial power, but in spiritual ascendancy. Religion 
was the weapon with which it brake in pieces and 
subdued ; and for thirteen centuries its power was 
unquestioned, its authority unrivalled. But then 
the miry clay began to mingle secretly and imper- 
ceptibly with the iron^ and by gradual but certain 
progress undermine that strength, that power, which 
had hitherto been so overwhelming. Crimes and 
abuses began to penetrate that system which had so 
long borne sway. Villanies committed under the 
veil of religion, attracted the attention of men, 
and the kingdom of iron was divided and broken, 
and became as potter's clay. The name remained, 
and part of its strength, but universal sway was 
banished. 

Another great system rose, and, with almost in- 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. 79 

credible rapidity, sent its converts over the world. 
Martyrdoms and miseries could not check its pro- 
gress. The word of the Lord had gone forth, even 
by the mouth of his servant Daniel ; and, though 
thousands of years have rolled by, , that sacred pro- 
phecy was then fulfilled, is still fulfilling ; and as 
we think on this great truth, human nature feels 
overwhelmed — the wisdom, the greatness, the om- 
nipotence of God, stand forth in dazzling clearness, 
and fill the mind with conceptions of God's glorious 
nature. His omniscience, too powerful, too mighty 
for this polluted and corrupted state. We cannot, 
we dare not penetrate the veil of His glory. We 
cannot conceive His all-seeing wisdom. Human 
nature sinks in the vain endeavour to solve the 
thoughts that for one moment dart across the soul, 
the faint murmurings of that pure spirit implanted 
within us, and of whose heavenly nature even the 
corrupted clay in which it is placed cannot rob us. 
Let us not attempt to solve such momentary thoughts, 
but as we read, and such facts as these, the exact 
fulfilment of His Word, some thousand years after 
it was given forth, stand clear before us, let us in 
silence bow before His power and adore His mercy. 
Yes, when the Protestant religion appeared, the 
kingdom of iron became divided, and partly strong 
and partly broken. Kings denied the supremacy 



80 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

of the Pope ; countries fell off from their allegiance 
to his dominion. Another spiritual kingdom ap- 
peared, and the greater part of the civilized world 
became then, and still is, under the sway of these 
two religions; and, therefore, though the kingdom 
is divided, there is yet in it 'Hhe strength of iron." 
" And they shall mingle themselves with the seed 
of men, but they shall not cleave one to another." 
This evidently does not relate to the Romans, ac- 
cording to the theory of the Christians, because the 
Romans did not mingle with the seed of men. Of 
them there is now no trace to be found ; but the fol- 
lowers of Christ mingle with the seed of men, that 
is, are daily making converts of the heathen nations. 
But the Roman Catholic and Protestant religions 
"cleave not to one another;" there is a mortal 
hatred between them, which never existed between 
the eastern and western empires, therefore even 
these simple words coincide more with this interpre- 
tation, than with the Christian doctrine. 

. "And in the days of these kings." Daniel does 
not say these tivo kings ; therefore it is evident he 
does not allude to the emperor of the east, and the 
emperor of the west, but to the kings of the various 
countries who shall be reigning when our appointed 
Messiah shall appear. 

" And in the days of these kings shall the God 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. 81 

of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be 
destroyed : and the kingdom shall not be left to 
other people, but it shall break in pieces and con- 
sume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for 
ever." That is, the Lord shall appoint a King, 
Saviour, or Messiah, who will himself break in 
pieces and consume all the kingdoms. 

Again: ^^All the kingdoms" — the expression used 
by Daniel must certainly signify more than two, and 
both in this, and in the term these kings, he evi- 
dently pierces the veil of futurity, and looks to the 
various kingdoms and nations that, when the Mes- 
siah Cometh, will people the earthly globe ; " And 
it shall stand for ever." 

" For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is 
given : and the government shall be upon his shoul- 
der," &c. " Of the increase of his government and 
peace there shall he no end, upon the throne of 
David, and upon his kingdom" kc. "The Lord 
sent a word unto Jacob, and it hath lighted upon 
Israel:" Isaiah, chapter 9, verses 6, 7, 8. "For 
thus saith the Lord : David shall never want a man 
to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel :" 
Jeremiah, chapter 33, verse 17. 

"And they shall dwell in the land that I have 
given unto Jacob, my servant, wherein your fathers 
have dwelt ; and they shall dwell therein, even they 
7* 



82 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

and their cliilclren, and their children's children for 
ever : and my servant David shall be their prince 
for ever. Moreover, I will make a covenant of 
peace with them ; and it shall be an everlasting 
covenant with them : and I will place them, and 
multiply them, and will set my sanctuary in the 
midst of them for evermore. And the heathen shall 
know that I the Lord do sanctify Israel, when my 
sanctuary shall be in the midst of them for ever- 
more:'' Ezekiel, chapter 37, verses 25, 26, 28. 

Thus the latter words of this extraordinary and 
beautiful prophecy of Daniel agree with a wonder- 
ful, and certainly holy, exactness with the same 
promises made by the Almighty to the three pre- 
ceding prophets, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. 
Can there then be any doubt to what kingdom 
the words '^ a7id it shall last for ever' allude, but 
to that same prince and people which have before 
been named, the people of Israel, and David their 
Prince or Messiah ? If we are all to become Christ- 
ians, why is Jacob so repeatedly mentioned by the 
Lord? why these gracious promises made so par- 
ticularly to Israel? If we become Christians, if 
Christ be the promised Messiah, we shall bear his 
name. Israel and Jacob will pass away, as did 
those other nations, whose very names are now 
scarcely remembered, and the prophecies with re- 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL, 83 

gard to Israel and Jacob must be false, and can 
never come to pass. What fearful impiety even in 
the very thought ! How can we believe in the ex- 
alted nature of the Almighty, if for one moment we 
think thus ? But more of this in a future page. 
We must here confine ourselves to the summing up 
of Daniel's famous prophecy, which hath thus, more 
clearly than any other, foretold what is now in 
actual fulfilment. 

The kingdom of bj-ass then refers to the Romans, 
not to the Grecians, as the Christians believe ; for 
they, the latter, never had dominion over all the 
earthy according to the prophecy ; whereas, Rome 
has been constantly termed Empress of the World. 
That the Christian religion is not that which the 
Lord hath promised, that Christ is not the appoint- 
ed Saviour, is also clear, because the time of Christ's 
appearance does not in the least agree with the 
time specified by Daniel. 

The kingdom of God was to appear when the 
kingdom of iron was divided, and partly strong and 
partly broken. Whereas Christ, the founder of 
that religion which his followers believe is the pro- 
mised kingdom "which is to stand for ever," Jesus, 
and his disciples, appeared in the time of Tiberius, 
only the second Roman Emperor, consequently some 
centuries before Rome was divided and became 



84 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

broken. How then can Christ and the kingdom 
of God be one and the same ? 

Again, the people of the kingdom of iron were 
to mingle with the seed of men, which they did not ; 
for when the Roman Empire lost its greatness, the 
Romans were buried in obscurity. Where shall we 
now find any who can trace their descent from the 
hardy sons of Rome ? 

. But the followers of Christ mingle with the seed 
of men, which may well signify, are turning the 
heathen nations to a knowledge of the holy God, 
though that knowledge is deprived of its purity. 
Yet still it is turning them from the worship of 
idols, that they may be prepared in some measure 
for that day when all shall be light — when the faith 
of the Christians shall be pui'ified and cleansed from 
its mistaken doctrines — when the Jews shall be par- 
doned for their transgressions, and restored to the 
favour of th«ir offended God — when the kingdom 
of God shall indeed be set up, and the faith of 
Abraham, Moses, and David shall be reinstated in 
all its pristine glory. 

The government of the Popes was, without doubt, 
that kingdom of iron which was to subdue all things, 
break in pieces and bruise ; and as prophesied, so 
did it perform. When the Protestant religion ap- 
peared the kingdom of iron was divided ; but divided 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. 85 

as it is, yet it is as strong as iron, for it still retains 
dominion over most civilized places in tlie known 
world, and is daily extending its dominions. 

The Protestant is partly strong, it cannot be 
termed entirely strong, otherwise there would be no 
other faith. The Catholic is partly broken, because 
it once was stronger ; and though together they 
have dominion over so many nations, yet do they 
not cleave one to another ; for, great as was the 
hatred borne between the Christian and the Jew, 
yet greater is the prejudice existing between many 
enlightened professors of the Catholic and Protest- 
ant faiths. 

Thus then, to the very letter, has the greater 
part of this celebrated prophecy been fulfilled, is 
still in fulfilment ; and if such is the case, may we 
not still look forward to that glorious time when all, 
all shall be accomplished. The time when the king- 
dom of God was specified hath not passed. No ! 
neither Jew nor Christian is yet prepared. The 
Christian hath not yet completed his destined task 
of leading the heathen from his idolatr£)us worship 
to the knowledge of a God — though not of the true 
and pure religion. The Jew hath not been chas- 
tened and purifiojd hy fire yet sufiiciently. We must 
yet longer be a despised and distinct nation in the 
countries whither we are driven. We must yet 



86 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

longer be a "reproach," and, even in these enlight- 
ened times, in some countries "a derision." We 
must yet be wanderers on the face of the earth. 
But wanderers as we are, without a land, without a 
king, without a shrine, who can rob us of the hope, 
Heaven-implanted, that guides us on, that implicit, 
that never-failing trust in the word of our God — 
the God of Israel ! He hath fulfilled His word in 
the past, will He not fulfil it in the future ? 
He will. Whilst Protestant and Catholic retain 
dominion over the whole earth, strong as iron, 
though divided, then will the Lord of Hosts set up 
a kingdom which shall never be destroyed — which 
shall not be left to other people, but which shall 
last for ever — the kingdom of David and the faith 
of Israel ! 



We have now to consider the 25th verse of the 
7th chapter, and the 23d, 24th, and 25th verses of 
the 8th chapter of Daniel, all of which appear to 
me typical and symbolical of those religions, which, 
retaining a knowledge of God, are yet widely dif- 
ferent from the pure faith of Israel, and which 
extend their dominion over the whole civilized earth. 
I mean the relio-ions of Christ and Mahomet. The 
Christians will shrink with horror from so close a 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. 87 

connexion ■with that faith thej deem so accursed ; 
but to the Jew there is very little difference be- 
tween the two. It is true, that constantly asso- 
ciating with the Christians, in some cases in friendly 
intimacy with them, and, moreover, convinced of 
the undoubted superiority which the moral code of 
the Christian has over the Mahometan, we are apt 
to regard the two religions with different ideas. 
To us, those states professing the Mahometan faith 
seem barbarous, and but little removed from savage, 
when we compare their manners, customs, nay, even 
their dress, with those of France, Italy, England, 
and Germany. We mingle not with them as we do 
with the Christians, and all these causes combined, 
we unconsciously blend in our minds the Mahometan 
with the idolatrous nations ; and yet, if for one mo- 
ment the Jew reflects impartially on the subject, he 
cannot think the followers of Mahomet more false 
in their belief than the Christian. The one believes 
in the Unity of God, and that Mahomet was His 
Prophet. The other in Trinity and Unity — a be- 
lief which can never be clear to the mind of an 
Israelite. 

That the Omnipotent, the Almighty God, would 
condescend to come upon earth in the form of 
clay, and mingle with the creatures He hath made, 
appears to me as an idea too derogatory of His 



88 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

mighty power, for one instant to enter the mind. 
And if, without profaneness, I may so speak, we 
might as well believe that a mighty emperor of this 
earthly world would quit his throne to mingle among 
the lowest beggars of his dominions, and there frame 
laws for them. (May the great God forgive me if 
I sin in this comparison !) And yet how else can 
we clearly explain the meaning of the Christian 
belief ? If God and Christ are one, it is only thus 
they can be united, and this belief to every Israelite 
must appear false as well as profane. At least the 
actual creed of the Mahometan brings with it no"^ 
contradictions : they venerate Mahomet as a gifted 
prophet, but they regard him not as equal to God. 
It is their moral code, so barbarous in some re- 
spects, not their belief, that makes them regarded 
by all nations as they are. But yet to the Jew, 
as we have already said, both creeds must be equally 
false. 

I know not if that which I am now about to bring 
forward is universally believed by the Jewish nation, 
or whether it may be but my own individual idea — 
but it is my firm belief, that the various religions 
now spreading over the world, were from the begin- 
ning ordained, and, in mystic language, prophesied, 
not only by Daniel, but by the three great prophets 
who preceded him, as shall be discussed in a future 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. 09 

page, when we review the sixth division of each pro- 
phet. Did I not believe that the Christian, ay, and 
the Mahometan religions were ordained by the 
Almighty, I could not thus firmly and steadfastly 
believe in my own faith, nor in the omnipotence of 
God. 

Why should not these grand spiritual divisions 
be prophesied, as well as the kingdoms of Greece, 
Rome, &c. Could they thus acquire such dominion, 
could they thus gain proselytes, did not the Almighty, 
for some wise end, permit them thus to flourish and 
increase ? He hath ordained these faiths, that the 
heathen nations should be turned from their idols, 
and learn to believe in the existence of a God ; that 
they should be taught meekness, charity, and piety ; 
to reform the savage nations of barbarous lands, 
and thus be gradually prepared for that day when 
the remains of darkness shall be removed, and the 
contradictory and incomprehensible doctrines of the 
Christian shall be made clear as day, for the film 
shall be removed from their eyes, and they " shall 
take hold of the spirit of him that is a Jew, saying. 
We will go with you ; for we have heard that God is 
with you:" Zachariah, chapter 8, verse 23. When, 
" The Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them 
that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the 
Lord:" Isaiah, chapter 59, verse 20. The Jews are 



90 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

not permitted to make converts ; they may not seek 
savage nations to speak of God, to have the glorious 
privilege of enlightening the eyes of the misguided. 
God hath withdrawn His Countenance in anger from 
them ; the light of His Glory is taken from them, 
till they have repented, till they have turned from 
their wickedness, and are sufficiently chastised to 
receive the renewed mercy of their God : then, then 
it will be ours, the glorious task of teaching the true 
religion ; it will be ours to give instruction and light 
to those prepared in a measure to receive it ; then 
will religious debates, religious wars of tongues and 
weapons, be at an end, and " the whole earth will be 
at rest and quiet: they break forth into singing:" 
Isaiah, chapter 14, verse 7. Till then we must live 
among the nations, neglected and despised, fugitives 
and wanderers on the face of the earth, a reproach 
and derision unto all men. Believing thus, the fol- 
lowing verses of Daniel are, to me, clearly symboli- 
cal of the Christian and Mahometan religions. Chap- 
ter 7, verse 25 : " And he shall speak great words 
against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints 
of the Most High, and think to change times and 
laws: and they shall be given into his hand 
until a time, and times, and the dividing of time." 
Now to what Earthly King can this verse relate ? 
It is true, by the preceding verses, we are led to 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. 91 

conclude it is a hing who was to do all this, though 
the actual word King is not applied to him, — " and 
after them another [not a hing) shall rise," &c., 
&c. In the histories of past governments, though 
we find many kings who spoke against the Most 
High, and destroyed or wore out his saints or pro- 
phets, none attempted to change times and laim, as 
is said of the subjects of this prophecy ; whereas 
both Christ and Mahomet did so ; they did change 
laws and seasons. Christ completely altered the 
law of Moses ; his followers attend not to the laws 
of the great prophet of Israel. They have changed 
not only laws but times. The Sabbath-day of the 
Jews is on Saturday, that of the Christians, Sunday; 
the Jews date their year cither from the Creation or 
the Flood, the Christians from the birth of Christ. 
In the same way the principal day of worship pecu- 
liar to the Mahometans is Friday, and they date 
their year from the appearance of Mahomet. Did 
any monarch of the earth, any civil or military 
governor, do this ? True, the Assyrian, Grecian, 
and Roman empires dated their years from some 
epoch peculiar to their government ; but these flou- 
rished long before the time of Daniel's prophecy; 
and that verse, therefore, cannot relate to either of 
them. The followers of Christ may warmly defend 
their founder from the first part of the verse : Christ 



92 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

spoke not words against the Most Sigh, but he did 
•against the people of the Most High; and, by 
speaking against his people, it was in a degree 
speaking against the Most High. But yet more 
applicable is this part of the verse to Mahomet ; by 
the foundation of those universal laws contained in 
the Koran, it was " speaking great words against the 
Most High," as Daniel says; and in after years 
both Christians and Mahometans, by their cruelty 
towards the Jews, did indeed " wear out the saints 
(or people) of the Most High." And have not the 
laws and times been given into the hands of Christ 
and Mahomet until a time, and times, and the divid- 
ing of times ? And by these three " times" is it not 
clear the prophetic eye of Daniel stretches through 
the long vista of futurity, till the end of the world, 
the " dividing of times." And what earthly king 
or kingdom has lasted, or will last, to the end of 
the world ? It is clear this verse relates not to one 
king or governor, one empire or province : where 
shall we find, in the various histories of the world, 
the man who retained his power until a time, and 
times, and the dividing of times ? not one ; yet the 
religion of Christ will last till our Messiah cometh, 
when it will be "the dividing of times." Verse 
26 : "But the judgment shall sit." It is rendered 
by this verse even more evident, for these v»'ords, 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL.- 93 

" tlie judgment shall sit," plainly denote that awful 
day when the Lord shall sit in judgment ; and is 
undeniably connected with the term " dividing of 
times." "And they shall take away his dominion, 
to consume and to destroy it unto the end:" which 
signifies that the religions of Cki'ist and Mahomet 
will then pass away and be destroyed. " And the 
kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the 
kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to 
the people of the saints of the Most High, whose 
kingdom is an everlasting kingdom ; and all domi- 
nions shall serve and obey him :" verse 27. By the 
terms, " the kingdom and the dominion, and the 
greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven," 
it is still more obvious that the 25th verse cannot 
refer to one individual, or one government only, for 
no king's dominions extended under the whole 
heaven ; but it must undoubtedly signify that grand 
spiritual power, which indeed reaches over the 
greater part of the earth, and will, ere the day of 
judgment cometh, stretch far and near under the 
whole heaven, as Daniel sayeth. Again, by the 
expression " that it was to be given to the people 
of the saints of the Most High," it is also manifest 
that the saints of the Most High, mentioned in verse 
25, are the same as those to whom the dominion is 

to be given in the latter end, — in a word, the peo- 
8* 



94 ESSAYS AND MISCELL.iNIES. 

pie of God — tlie children of Israel, wliose dominion 
is an everlasting kingdom, thus coinciding with re- 
markable exactness not only with Daniel's first pro- 
phecy, but with those of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and 
Ezekiel, which relate to the same gracious promises. 
There is not one^'ord of contradiction in those 
beautiful writings of our great prophet Daniel ; each 
of his prophecies is connected one with another, and 
with those of his predecessors. 

A note, by a Protestant compiler of the Bible, on 
this particular verse, the 25th, " x\nd he shall speak 
great words against the Most High," has given me 
a still clearer elucidation of this prophecy, as relat- 
ing entirely to the Christian religion. Alluding to 
the Popes, he points out their abuses in " the assump- 
tion of infallibility, in professing to forgive sins, 
to open and shut the approach to Heaven, the thun- 
dering out bulls and anathemas, excommunicating 
princes, absolving subjects from their allegiance, 
and exacting obedience to their decrees, in open vio- 
lation of reason and scripture." But appointing 
feasts and fasts, and canonizing saints, &c., can- 
not be said to change " times and laws," as in the 
Christian interpretation of this verse. The Pro- 
testants yet keep many of the feasts, as do the 
Catholics ; besides, the Pope did not change the laws; 
he may have abused them, but it was Christ, not his 



PROPHECIES OF D^iNIEL. 95 

followers, who completely changed the law of IMoses : 
they but obeyed his commands ; and the very abuse 
of his laws, and the grand revolution in spiritual 
affairs made by Luther, whom no one allows to be 
anything greater than a man, is to me the surest 
proof that the kingdom of Christ is not that king- 
dom which God was to set up, and which was to last 
for ever. Would God permit abuses to creep into 
His kingdom ? The Christian will answer. Were 
not the Jews his people ? Yes, but He said not our 
kingdom was from the first to last for ever, though 
we were never to be completely exterminated. Ours 
from the first was a season of probation and trial ; 
otherwise for what purpose did Moses utter those 
tremendous threatenings, ere he died : he knew it 
was but a trial of our faith, and, in affection for his 
countrymen, showed forth the wretchedness that 
would attend us, did we disobey. Had we resisted 
every temptation, had we come forth purified and 
cleansed, instead of contaminated, by the fiery 
ordeal it was ours to pass through, our kingdom 
would have lasted for ever : but such was not the 
case — abuses did creep into our laws, because we 
had not strength to resist them, and the denuncia- 
tions of Moses are fulfilled ! 

But if the kingdom of Christ were really that 
which Daniel so many hundred years before had 



96 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

proplio.ini \v;l:5 to last for ever, is it at all in cha- 
racter with the immutability of the Divine Nature, 
to believe that He would permit abuses and divisions 
to creep within it ! Moreover, to which of the va- 
rious sects founded on that which Christ taught, is 
the Jew to look for that which is to last for ever ? 
Ask the Catholic, and he will answer, Ms ; the Pro- 
testant, Ms; the followers of the Greek church, 
theirs; the Quaker, the Unitarian — ask each, and 
each will answer, Ms! Had the religion of Christ 
lasted from its commencement in the same unaltered 
form, without divisions, without abuses, — had it con- 
tinued in one body, undivided by sects, who each 
think differently on the all-important subject, and 
who in many instances dislike and think of each 
other with contempt, — had it indeed spread over the 
Avhole world, as one indivisible, united, pure religion, 
whose followers were remarkable for steadily adher- 
ing as one man to the precepts of their founder, — 
then indeed might the Jew believe the faith of Christ 
was that which was to last for ever ! But a divided 
kingdom cannot last ; and, in the present time, the 
several sects, as well as the two grand divisions, 
may make the Jew firmly believe the Christian doc- 
trine was that kingdom of iron, prophesied by 
Daniel, which was to be "broken and mingled with 
miry clay," but not the ^^ stone" that was cut with- 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. 97 

out hands, which was to cover the whole earth, and 
destroy every other nation and faith. The Christ- 
ian religion has existed for above eighteen centuries, 
the Jewish more than double that time, yet among 
the latter there is no division, as in the Protestant 
and Catholic, no petty sects, as divide the Protest- 
ant. Wherever they are scattered, whatever mise- 
ries they undergo, however far apart they may dwell, 
there is yet a bond of union, a chain of brotherhood, 
that unites Jew to Jew, and that bond is the law of 
Moses ! There is not, there never has been, atheism 
amongst us, and even those in whose hearts the spirit 
of religion may not fervently dwell, would yet deem 
it sin to break the law of Moses ! Having no na- 
tion, no country, no temple of their own, yet do 
they stand apart from other faiths, never mingling 
in the worship of another. One single family, di- 
vided perhaps by many miles from kith and kin, liv- 
ing entirely amongst those of the stranger-faith, 
they mingle not in the rites of those around them — 
the law of their Prophet is still sacredly kept. 

Would not this never-failing, indivisible union 
prove us to have been, to he, the peculiarly chosen 
of the Lord ? The Most High, blessed be His name ! 
hath said " we should not everlastingly perish ; a 
remnant should be saved, and from that remnant 
should spring the Son of David, to save and to rule 



9S ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

over us." We have not perished, we yet remain, 
and the rest of His word will be fulfilled when it is 
His will. 

The Jew knows not to which of the divisions of 
Christ's kingdom to look for everlasting righteous- 
ness, but if the Christian looks to the Jeiv^ he will 
find no sect to cause in his bosom a like perplexity. 
Let a Jew become a proselyte to the tenets of Pro- 
testantism, and let him converse with the several sects, 
or with a Catholic, and he will find that each deems 
him as far as ever from salvation ; but let a Christian 
believe in the tenets of one Jew, and he believes the 
doctrines of the whole Jewish nation. 



The next verses we have to consider are the 23d, 
24th, and the 25th of the 8th chapter : " And in 
the latter time of their kingdom, when the trans- 
gressors are come to the full, a king of fierce coun- 
tenance, and understanding dark sentences, shall 
stand up. And his power shall be mighty, but not 
by his own power : and he shall destroy wonderfully, 
and shall prosper, and practise, and shall destroy 
the mighty and the holy people. And through his 
policy also he shall cause craft to prosper in his 
hand ; and he shall magnify himself in his heart, 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. 99 

and by peace shall destroy many : he shall also 
stand up against the Prince of princes ; but he shall 
be broken without hand." 

The Christians apply these verses to the Roman 
empire, when it destroyed the Jewish nation ; by 
the "holy people," alluding to the Christians, and 
by the "Prince of princes," to Jesus of Nazareth: 
but all these suggestions, by a little reflection, must 
prove fallacious. In the first place, it is evident the 
prophecy relates to one individual, not to an empire, 
as the Christian believes. The king of fierce coun- 
tenance, and understanding dark sentences, whose 
power was to be mighty, but not' by his own power, 
who was to prosper and practise, and by whose policy 
craft was to prosper in his hand, cannot possibly 
relate either to Vespasian or Titus. Their power 
was their own ; they did 7iot practise (that word evi- 
dently cannot apply to them), they did not magnify 
themselves in their heart, nor cause craft to prosper 
in their hand. All these expressions, used to them, 
are dark, obscure, without meaning ; but if we apply 
them to Mahomet, the founder of a new religion, 
which even yet holds sway, we shall find them agree- 
ing with such exactness that these three verses would 
appear more like a history of past events, than a 
prophecy of what was to come. That a religion of 
such importance in the Avorld, which has caused such 



100 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

revolutions, such wars and miseries, should have 
thus sprung up without the permission, perhaps com- 
mand, of the Almighty, is a thing equally impossi- 
ble as almost impious to believe. Why should not 
the existence of a government that is in a degree a 
rival (though a weak one) to the Christian faith, — 
why should it not, I urge, be as likely to be pro- 
phesied as any other event ? The Christian brings 
forward many passages to support his belief, but to 
the Jew, as we have before observed, both faiths 
are alike, and the one as likely to be prophesied in 
the Bible as the other ; which truth, in another page, 
we have endeavoured to demonstrate. 

It now remains for me to show in what way the 
aforesaid verses relate to the artful founder of the 
Mahometan religion. " In the latter time of their 
kingdom." In the latter time of the power of tlie 
Romans, which had been declining since their remo- 
val to Constantinople. These words cannot apply 
to the Roman empire at the birth of Christ, for its 
power was not then decreasing, but at the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem was at its height of both power 
and splendour ; and it is to that time to which the 
Christians apply this prophecy. It does not relate 
to the Jewish people, because it is manifest the pi'e- 
ceding verses cannot apply to them, but much more 
likely to those numerous nations which, about the 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. 101 

time of Mahomet, were spreading over the earth, in 
lieu of the Western empire, of which, at that time, 
no trace remained. " A king of fierce countenance 
shall stand up." It may be urged that Mahomet 
was no king ; but he made himself Caliph, which, 
amongst the Arabians, was equivalent to sovereignty ; 
by his birth, also, he was of high rank, his grand- 
father, Abdal Motalleb, being chief of an illustrious 
Arabian tribe, and moreover high priest of the tem- 
ple of Mecca ; and when Mahomet first attracted 
the attention of the world, it was as apostle, or priest, 
or commander of a sect, for either of which terms, 
King is frequently used in the sacred writings. His 
countenance was commanding, and his actions proved 
the severity of his natural character, which may 
well be described in the forcible yet simple language 
of scripture, "of fierce countenance." Again, 
"and understanding dark sentences." For many 
years Mahomet secluded himself from the world, 
and, when he came forth, he revealed his mission in 
the Koran, which was indeed a collection of dark 
sentences, at first understood by himself alone, and 
which he declared were received from the mouth of 
the Angel Gabriel. "And his power shall be 
mighty, but not by his own power." By the aid or 
power of a band of proselytes, sworn to defend him, 

he was enabled to re-establish those doctrines which 
9 



102 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

were before on the decline. He entered the city of 
his proselytes, and erecting a mosque, a link of bro- 
therhood was cemented between them and the con- 
verts at Mecca. 

Aided by these, he furiously attacked and defeated 
several of the Arabian tribes, and the empires of 
Abyssinia and Greece ; and assuming the symbols 
of sovereignty triumphantly entered Mecca, and 
there compelled the whole of the peninsula of 
Arabia to acknowledge his authority : thus fulfilling 
the sacred words : " and he shall destroy wonder- 
fully, and prosper and practise, and shall destroy 
the mighty" (those Arabian and other nations that 
refused to acknowledge him) "and the holy people" 
— signifying the persecuted Jews, between whom and 
the followers of Mahomet there existed, and still 
exists, a mortal enmity. The meaning of the words, 
" and his power shall be mighty, but not by his own 
power," appears to me to prove the difference be- 
tween Christ and Mahomet ; the former by peace, 
by eloquence, by his own 'power, made proselytes ; 
but Mahomet, by force of arms, by fierce and cruel 
war, compelled the nations to acknowledge him as 
their prophet and their king ; and, consequently, 
though his power was miglity, it proceeeded not from 
himself alone, as did that of Christ, but from the 
assistance and power of his disciples' weapons : there- 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. 103 

fore, it is manifest to me that those words apply with 
greater force to Mahomet than to any other king, 
prince, or prophet. Equally applicable do I find 
the next verse: "And through his policy shall he 
cause craft to prosper in his hand." Craft did pros- 
per in the hand of Mahomet, and his policy com- 
posed doctrines that he knew were peculiarly adapted 
to the feelings and habits of the people he wished 
to convert. Craft is now a characteristic of the fol- 
lowers of Mahomet, grounded on many of the doc- 
trines of the Koran. He could not expect that 
Arabia would at once adopt a better creed, for at 
that time it was the seat of polytheism, of idolatry, 
and the most degrading superstition. The Koran 
taught them the existence of one God ; it gave them 
new ideas and better notions ; but these would have 
been utterly rejected by them, had he not mingled 
with these doctrines others of a less pure nature, 
from which Jew and Christian alike revolt, but which, 
appealing to the passions of the poor, ignorant Ara- 
bians, disposed them more willingly to attend to the 
other precepts of their Prophet : and thus, from the 
very beginning, his policy caused craft to prosper. 
"He shall magnify himself in his heart." He did 
do so : was it not magnifying his own greatness in 
his heart, when he not only inculcated, but firmly 
believed, that the Angel Gabriel had himself declared 



104 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

his mission ? that the celestial visitant had declared 
to him alone the will of God, and delivered to him 
the Koran, or, in other words, counselled him how 
to Avrite it. "And by peace shall destroy many." 
Even when the wars were over, and all was peace 
within his dominions, Mahomet and his followers 
scrupled not to destroy all those who still denied the 
precepts of their Imann. " He shall stand up 
against the Prince of princes." King of kings or 
Prince of princes are terms alike used in the sacred 
writings to indicate the Almighty ; and against Him 
did Mahomet indeed stand up ; for his doctrines 
were not such as could be acceptable or pleasing to the 
All-wise, All-just Creator. They (the Mahometans) 
were told, it is true, that there was but one God ; 
but abominations unto that Holy God were mingled 
with the faith he taught them : and his persecution 
of the Jews, the chosen people of God, might here, 
as in other parts of the prophecies, be signified by 
the words, " he shall stand up against the Prince of 
princes," or against the Lord. "And he shall be 
broken without hand." This evidently relates to 
the death of Mahomet ; and signifies that it was not 
by violence he was to meet his death ; no hand was 
to be raised against him ; no weapon pointed towards 
his heart : nor was it. Poison was mingled in his 
food, but caused not his immediate death ; he fell 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL 105 

not by the hand that administered the fatal ingre- 
dients, but it undermined his constitution. For three 
years he lingered on, worn out by continued acts of 
penance, engrafting his doctrines yet more firmly on 
the minds of his disciples, and a fever occasioned 
his final doom ; but yet he was broken without hand : 
and this verse may be applicable either to the death 
of the would-be Prophet himself, or to the final ter- 
mination of the faith of Islam. " Broken without 
hand:" it will not be extirpated by war and blood- 
shed, were all the Christian kingdoms to rise again, 
as they once did, against the turbaned infidel ; were 
wars of yet greater fierceness to rage between these 
two conflicting faiths, yet neither would be cut ofi", 
neither finally destroyed; both will pursue their 
destined tasks. Turning the minds of idolaters to 
the knowledge of a God, the Mahometan may 
peacefully be instructed in and receive the doctrines 
of the Christian faith, whose moral code is purer ; 
but neither will be by blood extirpated. There will 
come a day, the evening time of which all shall be 
light, when the Spirit of God shall descend upon 
the hearts of those who are cleansed and purified 
enough to receive it, " and ten men out of all na- 
tions, and all languages, shall take hold of the skirts 
of him that is a Jew, and say, "We will go with you, 

for we have heard that God is with you." 
9* 



106 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

Thus have I endeayoured, in pursuance of my 
OTvn steadfast belief, to manifest that the Mahometan 
religion was prophesied by Daniel, as clearly as 
those other events which Christian and Jew alike 
believe to have taken place. I would urge with 
regard to this — as well as in the case of the Christian, 
which I have already treated of at some length — is 
it probable a religion that was once of so much 
weight and consequence in the earthly world, a faith 
which produced such revolutions and wars, murders 
and other deeds of horror, would have risen as it 
did, and which still continues to exist, in spite of 
the devastating power of the destroying sword, un- 
less it had been ordained and permitted by God, to 
obtain the influence it once had ? The most igno- 
rant and thoughtless mind would answer, it could 
not. And, thus ordained, is it not equally probable, 
nay certain, that it would be prophesied ? Christian 
translators of the Bible have each a different inter- 
pretation of this passage, neither of which will agree 
with these mystic words so exactly as that which 
makes Mahomet the subject. A note in Bagster's 
edition of the Bible, explains the first part of the 
verses I have endeavoured to investigate, as the 
Roman empire, which reducfed Judea to a Roman 
province, and scattered the Jews to the four winds 
of heaven ; but it is evident these verses relate to 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. 107 

an individual, not to an empire ; for the term, 
"understanding dark sentences," cannot possibly 
mean otherwise : or, if the Roman empire was 
mighty, but not by its own power, by whose power 
was it so ? and what craft did the noble Romans 
use ? If they conquered, it was by force of arm, 
not by policy and craft : and I would ask the Christ- 
ian, if these verses relate to the Romans, how would 
he explain the meaning of the words, prosper and 
practise, and through his policy shall he cause craft 
to prosper in his hand, and he shall magnify himself 
in his heart, and he shall be broken without hand ? 
All these sentences evidently relate to an individual, 
not a nation ; besides the impossibility of forcing 
them to coincide either with Vespasian, Titus, or 
the Romans. Again, the "Prince of princes" can- 
not mean Jesus of Nazareth, for there certainly is 
not one proof to show that he was ever styled a 
prince, much less a prince of princes : he never 
received that title ; and it is strange, if such be the 
meaning, that every Christian translator of the Bible 
should not have given it the same interpretation : 
whereas, Hewlet, whose translation and notes we 
are next to consider, does not even mention those 
words in his marginal notes. His interpretation is 
more probable, yet even that does not exactly agree. 
Antiochus Epiphanes was certainly a king of un- 



108 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

tractable temper, and of no compassion, which the 
words, " of fierce countenance," signify — hut he was 
mighty by his own power, not by that of others; 
his own fierceness kept him for a time as king. But 
the words we have so often quoted cannot apply to 
him — it cannot be said he prospered, though for a 
time he was powerful, for the Jews by their efibrts 
succeeded in throwing off" their allegiance ; and 
Antiochus was driven from Judea, and died misera- 
bly, as both Jewish and Persian historians agree. 
What craft did he cause to prosper in his hand ? 
His deeds were not those of policy, for they were 
cruelties — massacres — open and avowed. How did 
he magnify himself in his heart ? since, in direct 
contradiction of this, all historians agree that he 
took pleasure in debasing his royal dignity and him- 
self, by visiting the lowest houses of entertainment, 
and the commonest baths, and in mimicking publicly 
the forms used at the election of the Roman magis- 
tracy : his very pleasures were efi"eminate. How 
can the words, "by peace shall destroy many," be 
applied to him ? when blood flowed in torrents dur- 
ing his reign, and war ceased not to rage, till death 
removed him. How, if the Christians believe these 
verses apply to Antiochus, do they interpret the 
words, " Prince of princes ?" Not as Jesus of Na- 
zareth, as some suppose, because this happened 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. 109 

nearly two centuries before his birth ; unless they 
believe, as I do, that it signifies the Almighty ; yet, 
if such is their belief, why do they not more clearly 
explain it in their notes ? But even if this and the 
last sentence could be made to agree with Antiochus, 
the preceding verses plainly demonstrate that Daniel 
did 7iot mean him as the subject of his prophecy. 
How can the first part of the 23d verse apply to 
him : " And in the latter time of their kingdom, 
when the transgressors are come to the full ?" What 
kingdom ? what transgressors ? Certainly not the 
Jews, because their kingdom was already done away 
with ; they were a province of Syria — no longer a 
separate kingdom : but the transgressors were not 
at the full, because the spirit of God yet rested on 
the nation, and enabled Judas Maccabees not only 
to throw ofi" the power of the Syrians, but to restore 
the pristine worship of the God of Moses, re-esta- 
blish the holy priesthood, and once more sanctify 
the Temple : therefore, the transgressors cannot be 
said, at that time, to be at the full : and it certainly 
does not apply to the Roman, nor the Syrian, nor 
the Egyptian empires, all of which were then in their 
full tide of glory. " The transgressors come to the 
full" might more justly apply to Jerusalem and the 
Jews at the time of Vespasian and Titus ; but, then, 
the remainder of the prophecy cannot be forced to 



110 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

coincide with them : and, thus, in neither of the 
versions given by Christian translators, do we find 
each sentence to agree as they so exactly do when 
applied to Mahomet. 

We have said enough of the fallacy of that rea- 
soning which would apply these verses to the Roman 
empire, as they clearly indicate an individual, — not 
a nation. We have, therefore, but to sum up the 
proofs that Mahomet is alluded to in these verses, 
and that Antiochus is not. "And in the latter 
time," &c. The Romans, whose empire had been 
on the decline many years. "A king of fierce," 
&c. A chief priest, or leader, of untractable tem- 
per, and no compassion — Mahomet ivas untractable, 
and certainly had no compassion. " And under- 
standing," &c. The Koran was, and still is, ac- 
knowledged to be a collection of dai^k sentences. 
"And his power," &c. Mahomet's power was 
mighty, but it was the swords of his proselytes that 
caused it to be so, not his single arm, nor the power 
and dignity of birth, as in the case of Antiochus; 

"And he shall destroy," &c. He did, and wonder- 

«. 
fully, for numbers fell by the prowess of his arms. 

" And shall prosper and practise." He did prosper 

to an astonishing degree, and he did practise by his 

example to inculcate the doctx'ines he taught. " And 

shall destroy the mighty." He did destroy the Ara- 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. Ill 

bians, the Abyssinians, and other barbarous and 
mighty nations ; for all acknowledged the truth of 
his faith, and bowed down before him. " And the 
holy people." The unfortunate Jews, who every- 
where, then, and to this day, are persecuted by the 
followers of Mahomet. " And through his policy 
shall cause craft," &c. His policy did frame laws 
suited to the minds of his proselytes, and, therefore, 
from the very beginning, caused craft to prosper in 
his hand. "And he shall magnify himself." His 
fancied interview with the angel Gabi'iel caused him 
to magnify himself in his heart. " And by peace," 
&c. By ordering peace he still destroyed many ; 
for all who acknowledged not his faith he caused to 
be put to death. "And he shall stand up," &c. 
He did, by the very invention of the Koran, stand 
up against the Almighty, who is indeed Prince of 
princes. "But he shall be broken without hand." 
He was so — a fever carried him oiF — for though 
poison had been mingled with his food, he rejected 
it before he had taken sufficient to occasion imme- 
diate death; it only increased disease, which was 
already undermining his constitution. 

Thus far have I shown how evident are the proofs 
that Mahomet was meant by the holy prophet 
Daniel : I will now endeavour to demonstrate how 
Antiochus cannot be indicated, though in some parts 



112 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

the prophetic language does seem to agree with him. 
It cannot be said of him that he came in the latter 
times of any kingdom, nor vrhen any transgressors 
were at the full ; for then, as we have said before, 
all the known kingdoms were at the full. He did 
not understand dark sentences, nor by policy cause 
craft to prosper ; for all his horrid deeds were open 
and avowed; nor was he ever known to proceed 
either by open p.olicy or secret craft. During the 
short interval when his power might be termed 
mighty, it was not by the aid of any other arm, as 
in the case of Mahomet, but by his own absolute 
authority, and that power which had lineally de- 
scended to him from his brother. He cannot be said 
to prosper, as defeat attended his arms ; and a very 
small band of Jews succeeded in driving him from 
Judea. His death, too, all historians agree was 
miserable : and how, I would ask, can the term prac- 
tise be applied to him ? or, if it can, what did he 
practise ? He did not magnify himself in his heart, 
for he delighted in joining in the pursuits and plea- 
sures of those of his subjects who were of the very 
lowest grade ; and there is nothing, either in his 
reign or private life, to prove he magnified himself 
in his heart. 

The Christians say the words, " mighty and holy 
people," signify the followers of Christ : in that 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. 113 

case it Is still more evident that the subject of this 
prophecy cannot signify Antiochus ; because in his 
time there were no Christians : and thus the Pro- 
testant translators of the Bible directly contradict 
each other. According to my interpretation, it does 
not relate to Antiochus ; because, though he de- 
stroyed the holy people — the Jews, — they cannot be 
signified by the word mighty ; for at that time they 
were no longer a mighty nation ; and Antiochus 
destroyed no other nation to whom that word can 
apply. There was no peace in his reign, during 
which he could destroy many, for all was war, 
anarchy, and sacrilege. It is therefore very evident 
that, though some few sentences of this prophecy 
may appear to relate to Antiochus, the greater part 
cannot in any way apply to him. 

I have thus, I fervently trust, rendered clear my 
steadfast belief, that not only Christ and the Christ- 
ian, but Mahomet and the Mahometan faiths, were 
prophesied with the same clearness and precision, 
by Daniel, as any other of those events which we 
know have already taken place. Impure as many 
of the Mussulman doctrines arc, yet some may be, 
and most probably are, acceptable to the Almighty. 
One God is worshipped ; and thus is it far removed, 
far exalted, above the heathen and idolatrous nations. 
We deem it equally barbarous — equally revolting — 
10 



114 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

but we are wrong. Those who, with all their heart, 
with all their soul, and with all their strength, wor- 
ship and acknowledge the one Supreme — the one 
Beneficent God — and, believing thus, act up to the 
doctrines of their faith, and the whisperings of their 
conscience — those who do this, be they Jew, Christ- 
ian, or Mahometan, will ever be Avorthy in the sight 
of their God ; and receive in the end that reward 
which is given to the righteous. But, even while 
we believe thus, let not the true Israelite pray with 
less fervour for the coming of that great day, when 
the impurities shall be removed from all faiths and 
all nations ; when the advent of the Son of David 
shall cause the faith of Israel to shine over the 
whole world, and beam in all its pristine glory in 
the Temple of Jerusalem ! 



The celebrated prophecy contained in the 0th 
chapter of Daniel, from the 24th verse to the end, 
has been considered by some Christians to establish 
the truth of their belief; but many learned Christ- 
ians, both in the last and present century, acknow- 
ledge that Daniel is not on their side, but as much 
a Jew as any of his brethren. We must, however, 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. 115 

for the clear explanation of these verses, attend to 
the context which is contained in the 8th chapter. 

It appears that Daniel, from the words of Jere- 
miah, perceived that God would visit all the nations 
and punish them for their sins, as may be observed 
by the following words : " For thus saith the Lord 
God of Israel unto me ; Take the wine-cup of this 
fury at my hand, and cause all the nations to whom 
I send thee, to drink it:" Jeremiah, chapter 25, 
verse 15. He also farther perceived that the visit- 
ation of each nation would be at the end of seventy 
years : as Isaiah prophesied of Tyre, chapter 23, 
verse 15 : " And it shall come to pass, in that day, 
that Tyre shall be forgotten seventy years," &c., 
and Jeremiah, of Babylon, chapter 25, verse 12 : 
" And it shall come to pass, when seventy years are . 
accomplished, that I will punish the King of Baby- 
lon and that nation, saith the Lord." For which 
reason, and because the prophets say that the resto- 
ration of Israel was to be contemporaneous with the 
destruction of their enemies, Daniel appears to have 
judged that the sins of the nation would have been 
done away by the seventy years of the captivity of 
Babylon ; and therefore the angel informed him of 
his error, by telling him that this was not to be the 
case with his nation ; for that their wickedness was 
come up before the Lord, and their sin was veiy 



116 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

grievous ; and that their sins could not be atoned 
for by seventy years' captivity, as in the case of the 
rest of the nations to whom He allowed that time to 
see if they w^ould repent. But, as for Israel, He 
would not want only seventy years, but seven times 
seventy years — for thus it is literally in the Hebrew ; 
the words translated seventy weeks are literally 
seventy sevens — after which, if they had not repented 
and reformed, their kingdom should be cut off, and 
they return into captivity, until they had sufficiently 
atoned for their transgressions. 

Hence, the cause of Daniel's question is evident, 
and the propriety of the angel's answer is manifest, 
as also the expression of weeks or sevens. These 
seventy weeks are doubtless /our hundred and ninety 
years — the time which was to pass between the 
destruction of the first temple till the destruction of 
the second. The angel, therefore, in general terms, 
tells Daniel the return from Babylon was not a per- 
fect redemption ; for by that visitation, only, their 
sins could not be done away. And after their return 
they were not free, but were under the dominion of 
the Persians, Greeks, and Romans. Even when they 
had kiligs, they were not of the seed of David. 
They were permitted to return, that they might 
repent and make atonement ; when, if they did do 
BO, at the end of the time assigned — seventy weeks 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. 117 

— they would bring in universal righteousness, vir- 
tue and felicity, throughout the world ; when Jeho- 
vah should be known, worshipped, and obeyed by all 
mankind. But if they did not repent and amend — if 
they did evil as their fathers — then their kingdom was 
to be cut off, at the expiration of the seventy weeks, 
or four hundred and ninety years ; which accordingly 
took place. The Angel then explains three periods. 
First period. — "Know therefore and understand, 
that from the going forth of the commandment to 
restore and build Jerusalem unto Messiah the Prince 
shall be seven weeks:" chapter 9, verse 25. That 
it shall be seven weeks, or forty-nine years, from the 
destruction of the first temple, to Cyrus, " the 
anointed Prince," who shall give permission to build 
the second. Many Christians object to the term 
Messiah, or anointed king, being applied to Cyrus, 
and they apply it themselves to Jesus of Nazareth : 
but that the term Messiah can be applied to Cyrus 
is evident ; since we find it so applied by God him- 
self in the 45th chapter of Isaiah, verse Ist : " Thus 
saith the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus." It is a 
singular fact that the appellation of Messiah is never 
applied to the expected deliverer of the Israelites, 
throughout the whole Bible ; except, perhaps, in the 
2d verse of the 2d Psalm. It is a name indifierently 
10* 



118 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

applied to kings, priests, and prophets, and to all 
who were anointed, as an induction into their ofiSce ; 
and has nothing in it peculiar or exclusive. In 
order to make the prophecy and the phrase Messiah 
the Prince, or the anointed Prince, apply to Jesus, 
Christians connect and join the first member of the 
sentence with the second, in open defiance of the 
original Hebrew : but they can reap no benefit even 
from this ; for the term Messiah Nagid, or the 
anointed Prince, can never apply to Jesus, because 
he never was prince or Nagid, which, in the Hebrew 
Bible, always without exception, denotes a prince or 
ruler ; one invested with temporal authority or su- 
preme command. Now, as it is always allowed that 
Jesus had no such temporal power as prince or ruler, 
it must follow he could not be the anointe'd prince 
mentioned in this prophecy. 

Second period. — " And in threescore and two 
weeks : the street shall be built again, and the wall, 
even in troublous times." Here the angel gave him 
to understand, that after the seven weeks, before 
mentioned, there would come a time in which the build- 
ing would be hinderc il till the second year of Darius, 
who gave permission to finish the building, which 
continued, till the destruction by the Romans, sixty- 
two weeks, besides the last week ; at the beginning 
of which the Romans came and warred against them ; 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. 119 

and at length entirely destroyed Judah, Jerusalem, 
and the temple. Thus, from the time of the procla- 
mation of Cyrus for the building of the temple till 
its completion was twenty-one years, and its dura- 
tion four hundred and twenty — on the whole, sixty- 
three weeks, or four hundred and forty-one years ; 
but the angel made his division at the sixty-two 
weeks, as he afterwards described what was to come 
to pass in the last week, and with reason ; for the 
destructive Jewish war lasted seven years : and by 
the words, "troublous times," he farther informs 
Daniel, that, during the building of the temple, they 
would have continual alarms and troubles from their 
enemies ; as is mentioned in Ezra and Nehemiah, 
and which evei-y history of the Jews confirms. 

Third period. — Chapter 0, verse 26 : " And after 
threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, 
but not for himself:" in the Hebrew " and have no suc- 
cessor." That is, after that period shall the priest, 
anointed one, or Messiah, be cut off (the high priest 
is called Messiah, in Leviticus, chapter 4, verse 3 — 
in the Hebrew, "If the Messiah, priest, or anointed 
priest, do sin," &c.) and have no successor ;'and the 
temple shall be destroyed by Titus and the Romans ; 
and, until the end of the war, your country shall be ^ 
swept with the besom of destruction. 

The angel finishes the prophecies with these words. 



120 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

chapter 9, verse 27: "And he" (the prince that 
shall come) " shall confirm the covenant with many 
for one week ; and in the midst of the week" (that 
is, the seventh and last week) "he shall cause the 
sacrifice and the oblation to cease." This predic- 
tion was fully accomplished ; for, 1st, Titus, " the 
prince that should come," was continually oiFering 
peace to the Jews, and tried to strengthen the cove- 
nant, meaning the old treaties made with the Ro- 
mans ; and he did in fact bring over many. 2d. On 
account of the distress during the siege, the daily 
sacrifice did cease to be ofi'ered in the temple, some 
time before its destruction. And the angel farthei' 
observes that all this was to come upon them for 
their sins : " for the overspreading of abominations, 
he shall make it desolate." 

That it is impossible for the Christians to force 
the above prophecy to relate to Jesus, the following 
single and simple observation will clearly prove. 
The anointed one, or Messiah, whom the Prophet 
says was to be " cut off," was to be cut off AFTER 
the threescore and two weeks : that is, at the destruc- 
tion of Jerusalem, or within the seven years follow- 
ing that event. Now we know from the Evangelists, 
and from profane history, that Jesus was crucified 
more than forty years before the destruction of 
Jervusalem. 



PROPHECIES OF DANIEL. 121 - 

Thus I have endeavoured to show, by comparison 
with past events, and combinations with present 
ones, evidence of the truth and lucidity of the Pro- 
phecies, most important and remarkable, as they 
are used as bulwarks of religion by both Jews and 
Christians. I rest not upon the wisdom of the task 
attempted, but the honesty of the motives impelling 
me to undertake it, of which God alone is judge : 
and thus "into his hand do I commit my spirit." 



SABBATH THOUGHTS 



SACEED COMMUNINGS, 

BY 

GRACE AGUILAR. 



(123) 



DEDICATION. 

To you, my beloved grandchild, do I dedicate 
this little volume of Prayers and Meditations. 

That you may with the name of Grace Aguilar 
inherit her humble piety, gentle virtues, and sweet, 
amiable temper, is the daily and fervent prayer of 
your affectionate grandmother, 

Sarah Aguilar. 



11 (125) 



PREFACE. 

The Prayers and Meditations, from wbicli the 
following are selected, were composed by my beloved 
daughter, for her own private use. She had been 
requested to write some for individual use, but de- 
clined doing so ; and this selection would never have 
been published but in compliance with the earnest 
entreaties of Mr. and Mrs. Solomon Cohen, of 
Savannah. 

I hope my kind friends who have been so urgent 
on the subject, will find some among them which 
may prove useful ; and, for the rest, our young co- 
religionists may gain something in perusing the 
Prayers and Meditations of one, who on all occa- 
sions was in the habit of poui-ing out her whole 
heart and soul in humble faith and trust to her 

Heavenly Father. 

Sarah Aguilar. 

February 26, 1852. 

(127) 



THOUGHTS 



FAMILY PRAYER. 



" It shall come to pass, before they call I will answer, and while they are yet 
speaking I will hear." — Isaiah, Ixv. 24, 

" The eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to show 
liimself strong in behalf of those whose heart is perfect towards Him." — 2 
Cheon. 

"Call upon me in the days of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt 
glorify me." — Psalm 1. 15. 

" The Lord is thy keeper." — Psalm cxxi. 5. 

" Leave thy fatherless children : I will preserve them alive, and let thy widows 
trust in me, for thus saith the Lord." — Jeke. 

'• Whom the Lord loveth he correcteth, even as a father the son in whom he 
delighteth." — Prov. iii. 12. 

'' The Lord is nigh to a broken heart, and loveth such as be of a contrite 
spirit." — Psalms, 18. 

" As one whom his mother comforteth, so will I comfort thee." — Isaiah, 18. 



11 * (129) 



THOUGHTS ON FAMILY PRAYER. 



The following simple prayers are not intended for 
children to repeat themselves, but to be read by the 
father, mother, or instructress of a young family, in 
the presence of all their children, from three years 
old upwards ; earlier if the disposition of the child 
be such as to allow it to remain attentive during the 
time the prayer may last. To depend upon a young 
child reading or repeating a prayer by himself, we 
must either lose a great deal of valuable time, or 
dishonour the name of our Father in Heaven, by 
hearing it constantly and irreverently repeated as a 
task and lesson, before the infant lips are aware of 
the deep solemnity, the vital consequence of what 
they are saying. And the habit of carelessly utter- 
ing that Holy name is not lost, even when riper 
years should make them conscious of the evil habit. 

It appears to me of the utmost consequence, to im- 

(131) 



132 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

press the infant mind as early as possible with no- 
tions of veneration and love for their Father who is 
in Heaven ; and this is easily and delightfully accom- 
plished by their ever associating their parents with 
their prayers. Imitation is the quality almost the 
first discernible in children ; the love and confidence 
they bear towards their parents (young children for 
a mother particularly) urges them to imitate all she 
does ; even to imbibe her feelings of love, or the con- 
trary, wherever they are visible. To make, then, 
prayers a never-failing source of comfort, of guidance, 
of relief, let them listen to their mother's voice, as 
morning and evening she addresses her Father in 
Heaven to thank Him for His care — to implore His 
protection and guidance through the day and night, 
His forgiveness of their sins. His grace and strength 
to resist them, and to love Him according to His com- 
mandment ; and the youngest child will learn to 
reverence and love the invisible, yet ever-present 
God, To look upon Him as his Father and Friend, 
to feel that he owes all his infant joys to Him, he 
will learn this, before he is conscious of the blessed 
gain he has imbibed; and in after years, when the 
full extent of the comfort, the strength, that religion 
gives, is felt, how will he bless his mother, at whose 
knee he first learned to address her jCrod, now he 
feels to his heart's core, his own ! But this will 



FAMILY PRAYER. 138 

never be obtained so completely if a mother merely 
hears her child repeat his prayers — unless he has 
joined her in prayer, or seen her pray, all her in- 
structions will be comparatively of little avail. We 
cannot expect a young child to feel love and reve- 
rence for an unseen Being, of himself — he must do 
so first, because his mother does, or because he knows 
all that she does it is right for him to follow. He 
has heard her utter with solemn reverence the name^ 
of God ; he has seen her serious and quiet whenever 
she addressed Him in prayer ; that all trifling play 
or amusement is put away before she begins to pray : 
and that holy impression will seldom leave the intel- 
ligent child through life ; it remains even when the 
parent may have sought the God she has loved and 
served ; remains to hallow her memory, and urge 
him on to tread the path she trod. 

Another advantage of this plan is, that a much 
younger child may be admitted to family prayer 
than can possibly be taught to pray himself. It is 
of little consequence that at first he may not quite 
understand all that his mother reads ; he sees her 
serious yet happy, his brothers and sisters attentive 
and quiet, and he will learn to be the same, and by 
imperceptible degrees fully understand and appre- 
ciate the privilege of being admitted, though so 
young, to pray to his Father in Heaven. 



134 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

If it be, as it undoubtedly is, necessary that boys 
should early learn the comfort and blessedness of 
prayer, it is doubly more so for girls ; and for them 
how much may maternal affection do ? How few 
women are exempt from sorrow and suffering, either 
bodily or mental, that may only be soothed by con- 
stant and faithful prayer ? How few young, gentle 
hearts pass through life unscathed by those inward 
sorrows, which can be healed only by the conscious- 
ness that the love borne towards us by our Father 
in Heaven, is deeper, stronger than the dearest felt 
for us by our friends on earth; and how can we 
learn this love but by studying His word ? and how 
seek Him in our troubles but by being used in our 
infancy to address Him in every sorrow, and praise 
Him for every childish joy ? It is the want of this 
constant intercourse with our Heavenly Father that 
brings down on the Jewish nation the charge of pos- 
sessing no comfort in their religion ; but it is not 
our religion that is at fault ; it is that we never pray 
with our children, never permit them to see in our- 
selves the privilege of prayer, but, contented with 
desiring them to repeat a set form, rest quite satis- 
fied that they will acquire of themselves all that is 
needed in religion. This is the reason why many 
of our nation, yearning for comfort, for the privi- 
lege of closer communion with our God, desert their 



FAMILY PRA.YER. 135 

fathers' faith, and seek" that, so many of whose 
members show forth so beautifully, so blessedly, its 
solace and its peace. Oh ! should not every Jewish 
mother tremble, when she thinks that this may be, 
nay, will be, unless she teach her children to pray, 
to love their Father who is in Heaven, to revere and 
feel the privilege, the comfort of His word ? and 
how can she do this but by calling them round her 
to listen to the morning and the evening prayer ? 
but by evincing how she loves to address her God, 
and read His word ? how careful she is to obey His 
law, and take His given word for her guide and sup- 
port in the daily events of life ? by showing how 
earnest she is to lead her children in His paths? 
Will a child ever forget such lessons ? Oh, no ! Even 
in moments of temptation, of doubtful enjoyments, 
the thought of his mother will be there to check and 
to save him from evil and from sin. Incumbent as 
the duty of religious instruction is on mothers of 
every faith and every class, it is still n^pre impera- 
tively demanded from the mothers of Israel ; for they 
have no assistance in their arduous task, save that 
which will be vouchsafed them from Heaven, when- 
ever it is sought by earnest and lowly prayer. It 
rests with them to open to their children the foun- 
tains of salvation, of life, of the deep, measureless 
love, which the history of God's dealing with His 



ids ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

rebellious people can so abundantly, so eloquently 
prove. Ever turning from His paths, still His 
mercy failed not ; still we are the objects of His 
love, His tender pity, which " waits to be gracious" 
only till the heart is lifted up to Him in child-like 
faith, in earnest prayer. 

It appears to me that the great fault shown by 
the Jewish nation, is in puffing up our hearts with 
pride from the first moment that we can understand 
that our religion is different from that of those 
around us. We are told that we alone are of the 
true religion, that we alone are worthy in the sight 
of God, that all else is idolatry and folly. Instead 
of which we should engrave on the yielding hearts 
of our children the tale of Israel's awful sin; that 
we ivere indeed the favoured of the Lord, the bless- 
ed, the loved above all others — but that we rejected 
His gracious love, we revolted from His merciful 
yoke, and so awfully and ungratefully sinned, that 
He was compelled in justice to chastise, and that 
we are now, even now, suffering from the conse- 
quence of those sins. 

Will not any right feeling child melt at this tale 
of boundless love and base ingratitude, and feel that 
he would not act thus, that he would try and love 
that merciful Being who so much loved him ? and 
then is the moment to impress the still acting mercy 



FAMILY PRAYER. 137 

of his Father in Heaven upon his little heart. Then 
tell him we must not despond; that we are God's 
chosen people still, though at present under his 
displeasure ; that He loves and cares for us still as 
His beloved children, and that we should leave no 
effort untried to serve and love Hirriy that we might 
prove to Him the sins of our ancestors are not ours, 
and to shoiv that a religion so pure, so consoling, so 
full of hope as that we practise, could have its 
foundation but in God alone. If the Jewish reli- 
gion were taught thus, would it not be productive 
of more real comfort, gratitude, faith, and love than 
it is, alas ! too generally now ? I seem to have 
wandered far from the original subject of these few 
remarks, but it was necessary to evince the great 
consequence of family prayer. 

Let it not be thought I would banish from family 
circles the prayer books so long in use among us ; 
far from it. Both the morning and evening prayers 
here written, are invariably followed by the She- 
mang, without which, in my opinion, no form of 
Jewish prayer is complete ; but my great wish was 
to write a family prayer that would touch the heart, 
and reach the understanding of the youngest child. 
This a selection from our prayers could not do of 
itself; we could not select a portion sufficiently 

brief for the purpose, and yet to contain the sup- 
12 



138 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

plication we require ; we should never weary the 
attention of a child, particularly in the solemn duty 
of prayer. Until the age of seven, I should say, 
the morning prayer and the Shemang were quite 
sufficient, followed as they ever should be in the 
morning by either a few verses or a chapter from 
the Bible, and a selection of appropriate verses from 
the Psalms. From seven till nine, we might add 
the two prayers directly following the Shemang : 
" And it shall come to pass," &c. : " And the Lord 
spake unto Moses," &c. At nine the Amidah might 
gradually be added till the whole is said, and at 
thirteen the inclination of the child might be con- 
sulted, whether to read more in the prayer book, or 
study the word of God rather longer by himself. 

The evening prayer, the Shemang, a simple 
hymn, and some well selected verses of the Psalms, 
is quite enough for any child till the age of thirteen. 
At that age, if the mother's duty has indeed been 
performed, there will be no need to tell a child to 
pray, or desire it to read the Bible ; he will have 
learned the comfort of both, and hail it as a privi- 
lege and blessing. 

Do not let me be understood to insinuate that a 
child should not be allowed to pray by himself till 
he has attained the age of thirteen. Had I children 
of my own, 1 would hear them pray in tlioir own 



FAMILY PRAYER. 139 

simple words and childlike phrases every night be- 
fore they sank to sleep; a duty quite distinct from 
family prayer. That has already evinced to the 
infant mind the necessity of prayer, but it is never 
too soon to teach a child, that will not do alone ; 
there must be private and individual prayer, or he 
will never learn, to its full extent, his dependence 
on the assistance and blessing of his God. A 
general confession of sin will not come home to 
his little heart, as the recapitulation of the faults 
he may have committed, or the errx>rs he may have 
been led into. A general thanksgiving in the same 
way, does not awake such real, though perhaps 
childish gratitude, as the memory of pleasures felt 
by himself individually in the day just passed. Let 
a mother recall these things to an affectionate child ; 
if he have been naughty, given way to moment- 
ary ill temper, or other faults peculiar to childhood, 
let her gently and affectionately point out the evil, 
and impress on his mind the necessity of asking 
God's forgiveness, and for the blessing to enable 
him to become a better boy in future. If any par- 
ticular pleasure has been his through the day, ask 
him if he do not think he ought to love and thank 
his Father in Heaven, who has been so very good 
to him, and given him kind friends who only seek 
his happiness. If his lessons are more than usually 



140 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

difficult, teach him to implore the assistance of his 
Heavenly Father, and assure him if he does so 
sincerely, and tries all he can himself, he will 
conquer them. This is prayer ; but this can never 
he taught a child by merely desiring him to learn 
a set form of words, one-half of which, perhaps, he 
may not understand. Many think such intimate 
communion lowers the dignity and destroys the 
veneration we should feel towards our God — that 
such little things are unworthy of His regard. But 
surely this is a false estimate of the universal love 
that feeds the little birds of the air, and clothes the 
blossoms of the field; this is judging Him "whose 
ways are not our ways," as if He were an earthly 
sovereign ; nor one who has love and care for us all, 
from the king of a mighty empire, to the virtuous 
child of the poorest beggar — "As far as the heaven 
from the earth, so great is His mercy towards those 
that fear Him." Can we measure that boundless 
space, and where would be that deep love if the 
concerns of a young child were all unworthy of 
His regard ? Oh ! do not let us set forth with this 
idea. It is because we keep so far from Him, we 
are so loth to address Him in spontaneous prayer, 
that there is such little comfort for women of Israel. 
But did we teach this blessed communion with our 
ever loving, ever seeing Father, Saviour, Friend, 



FAMILY PRAYER. 141 

unto our children from their earliest infancy, teach 
them to pray, not in set phrases, hut in the words 
that the heart teaches, each year would increase the 
love, the gratitude we bear Him, and the conscious- 
ness of His love towards us ; and it is this, this 
consciousness, that is woman's dearest, strongest, 
loveliest support. Few are the women that yearn 
not for love, and what can so fully satisfy that 
yearning as the consciousness of our Father's love, 
far exceeding in its depth, its fulness, its unutter- 
able bliss, the dearest boon to us on earth. But 
unless we accustom our children to lean on this 
love, to trust in it, appeal to it, it Ayill be long, very 
long, ere we realize its comfort in riper years, for 
we shall fear to approach His footstool for relief 
and comfort under those innumerable petty trials 
that form the weary lot of woman. Family prayer 
will have taught a child veneration to its God. If 
he have been accustomed to see his mother ever 
approach His footstool, and open His word with 
reverence and seriousness, yet with cheerfulness 
and holy joy, we need have no fear, however simple 
and childish the words of his prayer may be, but 
veneration and love will be in his heart : 

" Father, help me to be a good child, and do all 
my mother bids me. I have been naughty and 

quarrelled with my sister (or whatever the fault 
12 * 



143 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

may be), and given mamma pain ; pray forgive me 
for Thy holy name's sake, and help me to be good 
to-morrow." This is simple, earnest prayer, and 
our God, who hath promised to hear all who call 
upon Him, will listen as graciously to those few 
words — ay, and as mercifully answer them — as He 
would the more eloquent appeal of weightier sor- 
rows. 

" Father, I want to try to thank and love Thee 
for being so good to me and making me so happy, 
and a good child. Teach me how, for I know Thou 
lovest little children. I thank and love thee very 
much." 

Such in all probability would be the form in 
which little children would of themselves pray 
and praise ; and is not this, I ask, more acceptable 
to Him who demands the heart, not the lips, than 
a set form they repeat, merely because they are 
desired to do so ? Oh ! when we are inclined to 
think such childlike phrases are unworthy of His 
notice, let us remember every bird and every flower 
are guarded by His all-seeing love, and the doubt 
will fly ; for hath He not breathed into the youngest 
babe an immortal soul, and will not its first aspi- 
rations be looked on and heard in love by Him who 
gave it ? 

A mother alone can do this. Time and trouble 



FAMILY PRAYER. 143 

and pain it may cost her, but what mother would 
grudge these for a few brief years, when their fruits 
may be the everlasting comfort of her offspring 
through this life — their salvation in eternity ? 

To render a child more attentive to family prayer 
than he would be, merely from th'e faculty of imita- 
tion, innate within him, a mother could pleasantly 
and improvingly assist him, by making each sen- 
tence the subject of a brief explanation, in words 
adapted to his understanding. We will take the 
Shemang for example, the most perfect epitome of 
man's moral and religious duty that ever was com- 
piled. We turn to the Word of God, and show that 
it is there (Deuteronomy, chapter 6, verses 4 to 10) 
that God inspired Moses to write it for the good of 
His faithful servants : — " Hear, oh Israel, the Lord 
our God is one Lord." Here explain as simply as 
possible the foundation of our Faith, the unity of 
our God, that He would be worshipped alone, and 
bring forward as confirmation of your words the 
First and Second Commandments : " Blessed be 
the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever." 
Explain M'hy this is not in the Bible ; that the com- 
piler of the prayers felt impelled to write it in 
praise and thanksgiving to his Father in Heaven, 
for giving him instructions how to live in a manner 
that would please Him. The next verse divide into 



144 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

three portions ; explain to your children, first, that 
to love their merciful Father with all their heart, 
they must love Him better than anybody or any- 
thing on earth, that as He is kinder to them than 
their kindest earthly friend, so they ought to love 
Him more. Secondly, make Soul your subject: that 
to love Him with all our soul, we must attentively 
cultivate our talents as His gifts, for as He gave 
them to us in love. He would justly be displeased 
if we neglected or abused them, or became proud 
and conceited, forgetting they are His gifts, and 
looking on them as our own. In the same way 
make Might the subject of another Bible lecture, 
and prove, that to love Him with all our might, we 
must do all we possibly can to please and serve 
Him, that even little children can do a great deal 
by trying to be good and obedient, aflfectionate and 
attentive to their prayers, and His Holy Word for 
His sake, that is, because they Avish to remember 
Him and obey His commands. The next verse, 
closely connected with the Ten Commandments 
(" These words" referring as Avell to the chapter 
previous, as to the verses directly preceding), en- 
ables us to explain them at length, making the 
duties included in each the subject of a separate 
lesson. The next may also be divided into two 
parts : the first, " thou shalt teach them diligently," 



FAMILY PRAYER. 145 

or, literally translated from the Hebrew, " thou 
shalt repeat them over and over again to thy 
children," as more relating to ourselves than them ; 
but the proof we give that in teaching them we are 
obeying our Father in Heaven, may do more to- 
wards impressing our words on their yielding mind, 
than the longest sermon. The next paragraph 
explain, as meaning we must think of Him when 
we are sitting in the house, or walking by the way, 
when we lie down, and when we rise up. Pointing 
out the many things in our walks to associate with 
Him — the birds, the flowers, the trees, the beautiful 
blue sky and green fields, all are objects of delight 
to children, and may be made how much more sub- 
servient to their eternal welfare, than merely as 
emotions of pleasure. The next two verses may 
impress the necessity of peculiar forms, which we 
should attend to in obedience to the command of 
the Lord, even if we cannot see the necessity so 
much now as when they were given. We are 
still His chosen people, and His commands are 
quite as obligatory to us now, as when we were in 
Jerusalem, and even more necessary, to separate 
us from the nations now than then. 

To explain the Shemang, and the morning and 
evening prayer in this manner, lengthening or 
shortening our instructions, according to the temper 



146 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

and inclination of our children, is not the work of a 
daj. It may occupy weeks, even months ; indeed 
we should not be satisfied till our children explain 
them to us as we have to them. But will not the 
time thus devoted be richly rewarded, if these in- 
structions at length open to their hearts and under- 
standings the exhaustless comfort, the unutterable 
fulness of fervent and unceasing prayer ? How 
should we despond if years, long weary years run 
on, ere we can trace any reward for our labour and 
self-denial ? for rigidly and firmly must a mother, 
who wishes thus to instruct her children, watch 
herself, that her precepts be confirmed by example, 
that in her whole conduct she displays their fruits. 
Of this she may rest assured, that never was fer- 
vent and faithful prayer unheard by the God of 
love, and, therefore, if prayer for His assistance, 
His blessing, ever accompanying our efforts for our 
children, we shall be heard, ay, and answered, 
however long that answer may be deferred, however 
painful may be our path till it be vouchsafed. 

A few words on the imperative necessity to make 
the "Word of God, our Bible, our daily companion, 
and part of the daily instruction of our children, 
and I have done. The greatest mischief that can 
be done to the interests of the Jewish religion, is to 
keep (as too many do) our children from reading an 



FAMILY PRAYER. 1*7 

English Bible,* on the plea, that the way in which 
it is translated will do them more harm than good. 
Never was there a mistake more egregious than this, 
or more likely to produce evil consequences. Sup- 
pose, as is most likely, intimacy with the Christian 
ensues ; that religious conversation is started ; how 
are we to answer arguments founded on the Bible, 
if we can produce none from the same holy autho- 
rity ; and how are we to produce them, if the Word 
of God is never taught us according to our belief, 
if a Christian be, as is but too often the case, the 
first person from whose hands we receive an English 
Bible : if Christian interpretation be the only 'kind 
we can receive ? Even more necessary to us, in our 
scattered and forsaken state, is the Word of God, 
than to the Christian ; though by the latter it is made 
a daily study ; by us, with the exception of our Sab- 
bath portions, seldom or never perused — and why ? 
Because we shun the English version, and the 
Hebrew never can be to us what the English is. 
There may be mistakes in the translation, but these 
are comparatively few, and of no consequence, com- 
pared with the injury we do ourselves and our child- 
ren by withholding it entirely ; and even this evil is 
now remedied by a valuable little work just published 

* This is not the case in America. — American Publisher. 



148 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

bj a Jew, in which the mistaken renderings are cor- 
rected, and the real meanings are attached to them. 
Imperatively we are called upon to teach the 
Bible to our children ; according to the belief 
of Judaism, danger threatens if we do not, danger 
that can only be avoided by making it from early 
childhood the foundation of their faith, their com- 
fort and their stay ; and how can we do this ? By 
showing, even more by example than by precept, 
that so it is to us ; that it is our daily companion, a 
privilege and a blessing. If we read to them but 
three or six verses of the narrative part, and as 
many selected from the Psalms, every day, we shall 
make a yet stronger impression ; for we shall show 
them we wish them to share the privilege God's love 
has granted us. And for this instruction, a child 
of three or four is not too young. If it sees a 
mother address h^r God in prayer, for grace to un- 
derstand what she is going to read before she opens 
the sacred book, if it be but one verse she reads and 
explains as simply as she can to her infant hearers 
every day when prayers are finished, she may rest 
assured that book will be regarded by them with as 
much veneration and love as she can desire. Let 
her teach them that unless they pray for instruction 
the Bible must be as a sealed book, and that, even 
with His teaching, there are many parts they must 



FAMILY PRAYER. 149 

• 

not expect to understand, but receive with humility 
and gratitude as the Word of God, which he will 
explain hereafter. I would make a child acquainted 
with Scripture history, through the means of Scrip- 
ture story books, if it felt a wish for them, but I 
would never put the Bible itself in the hands of a 
child, to peruse alone, till the age of twelve or thir- 
teen, and not then if it had not learned to venerate 
and love it. A whole life is inadequate for the tho- 
rough understanding of God's most Holy Word ; 
can we then begin too soon, or think five, ten, even 
fifteen minutes too long a time to bestow on this 
important study every day ? We think nothing of 
hours devoted daily to some ornamental accomplish- 
ment ; but that which is the staiF of life, the guide, 
the gate unto eternity, we imagine must come of 
itself to our children. Surely this is wrong ; and, 
if we love the precious gifts a Father's favour hath 
bestowed, can we better prove our gratitude to Him, 
our love to them, than by early opening to them the 
well of life, and leading them up to Him in " whose 
presence is the fulness of joy, and pleasures for 
evermore ?" 

The peculiar language and imagery of the Biblo 
require careful explanation, for not till that is given 
can we hope to make them really love the book. 

With regard to the Psalms, I prefer reading them 
13 



150 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

• 

in the Bible, to our prayer books, because the trans- 
lation appears to me much more simple and clear, 
and, from their being divided in separate verses, we 
can better explain them by taking each verse alone ; 
■we can also more easily select verses suited to the 
occasion, or the mood of our children. David's 
Psalms are indeed a rich treasury of prayer and 
praise, and, however our own lips may feel inade- 
quate to express the feelings of our hearts, there we 
shall find all we need, either in despondency or aspi- 
ration, joy or sorrow, doubt or faith, there we shall 
strike some echoing chord. Oh ! can we then open 
this "fountain of life," this "rock of strength," 
this "well of salvation," too soon to our children? 



FAMILY PRAYERS. 



" Be not rash -with thy mouth, and let not thy heart be hasty 
to utter anything before God, for God is in Heaven, and thou 
upon earth, therefore let thy words be few." — Eccles. v. 2. 



(151) 



FAMILY PRAYERS. 



FAMILY MORNING PRAYER. 

Almighty God, Creator of all things in heaven 
and earth, and air and sea, Father and Lord over 
all people, more especially the Father, Preserver, 
and Saviour of Thy people Israel, we beseech Thee 
to have mercy upon all here present, and to pour 
Thy Holy Spirit upon our hearts, that we may turn 
aside from all evil inclinations, and walk humbly and 
faithfully before Thee, and in the law thou hast given 
us through Thy servant Moses. 

We thank and bless Thee, our Father, for the 
calm and quiet sleep Thou didst mercifully bestow 
on us in the night just past. We gratefully acknow- 
ledge that Thy mighty arm alone could guard us 
from the terrors of the night, and raise us up again 
in health and life. We beseech Thee in Thy infinite 

love to make us grateful for this, and for all Thine 
13 * (153) 



154 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

abundant goodness ; teach, 0, teach us how to thank 
Thee for the health and food, kind friends, and the 
many other blessings Thou hast granted us ; bless- 
ing us far above many of our fellow creatures, though 
we are equally undeserving in Thy sight. We 
merit nothing, Lord, but Thou hast given us all that 
is good for us, all that we can desire, and therefore 
we wish to love and serve Thee more and more each 
day ; 0, teach us hov/ to do so acceptably to Thee ! 
We beseech Thee, our Father, to take away from 
us the evil inclinations, sinful passions, and rebel- 
lious tempers of our hearts, that we may learn to 
love, fear, and serve Thee with all our heart, and 
soul, and might. Make us good and obedient to all 
our superiors, be they parents, guardians, or teachers. 
Give us Thy help to become forbearing and aflfec- 
tionate to all our companions, more particularly to 
all our brothers and sisters. Enable us to keep holy 
all Thy Commandments and the statutes of Thy 
laws, to do our duty however contrary it may seem 
to our wishes, and bow submissively to Thy will, 
whatever it may be. Guard us, merciful Father, 
this day from all temptation to sin, from all thoughts 
of pride, hatred, or disobedience ; grant us patience 
and wisdom to improve the talents Thou hast given 
us, and teach us in all things to pray to Thee. Bless 
us, our God, this day and evermore with the fulness 



FAMILY PRA.YER. 155 

of Thy love, and engrave upon our hearts the "words 
of Thy faithful servant Moses, which he proclaimed 
unto Thy people Israel in the wilderness — ^ 

" Hear, Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord 
(blessed be the name of the glory of His kingdom 
for ever and evermore), and thou shalt love the 
Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy 
soul, and with all thy might ; and these words 
which I command you this day shall be in thy 
heart, and thou shalt teach them diligently unto 
thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou 
sittest in thine house, and when thoa walkest by 
the way, when thou liest down, and when thou 
risest up ; and thou shalt bind them as a sign upon 
thy hands, and they shall be as frontlets between 
thine eyes, and thou shalt bind them upon the 
door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates." 



PRAYER BEFORE READING THE BIBLE. 

Father Almighty ! Thou from whom all know- 
ledge and wisdom come, without whose blessing 
and assistance our eflforts after understanding and 
righteousness are of no avail, we humbly and ear- 
nestly beseech Thee to open our eyes and hearts ; 



156 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

that Thy precious word may not be to us as a 
sealed book, but that we may mark, learn, fully 
comprehend, and inwardly digest all that Thou in 
love didst inspire good and faithful men to write, 
for our benefit and instruction while in this world, 
for happiness and salvation hereafter. Give us 
childlike hearts and simple faith to read and love, 
Lord. Guard us from the vain sophistry of man, 
and permit us all to read with sincere humility, Thy 
words, leaving that which, in this present imperfect 
state, we may not understand, to Thy love and 
wisdom to explain hereafter, " for with Thee is the 
fountain of life, and in Thy light we shall see light." 
0, let Thy blessing be amongst us, our Father, and 
guide us unto Thee. — Amen. 



FAMILY EVENING PRAYER. 

Almighty God ! Creator of all things in heaven 
and earth, and sea, Father and Saviour of Thy 
people Israel, who hath in love and wisdom ordained 
seasons of labour and seasons of rest, we come be- 
fore Thee with grateful and lowly hearts, to thank 
and bless Thee for all Thine abundant goodness 
shown us in the day just passed. We thank Thee, 



FAMILY PRAYER. 157 

O our Father, for keeping us in health, and nou- 
rishing us with proper and healthful food : for keep- 
ing us from idleness and sin, for granting us seasons 
of recreation and joy. We bless Thee for all these 
things, merciful God, for we know thej come 
from Thee, and we beseech Thee, in Thine infinite 
mercj, to render us more and more sensible of Thy 
never-failing love, and our own unworthiness. 0, 
forgive us the many faults and seci^t sins we may 
have committed this day. We know that in Thy 
Bight we are weak and sinful beings, and humbly 
and fervently we beseech Thee, Lord, to give us 
grace so to love and serve Thee, that through Thy 
divine aid, our evil propensities may at length be 
conquered and subdued. We acknowledge our ina- 
bility to become worthy of ourselves, and implore 
Thy grace to render us faithful servants of Thee, 
and of Thy law. 

Take away from us all angry and rebellious feel- 
ings, whether they are excited towards our superiors, 
our companions, or inferiors. Grant us a spirit of 
charity and forgiveness towards all who have offend- 
ed us, and of love and humility towards those we 
have offended. Let us not lie down in anger and 
in sin ; merciful Father, take away from us all such 
wicked thoughts and feelings. 0, guard us and all 



158 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

we love, be they present or far away, from the ter- 
rors of the night ; be with them and with us, Lord, 
and let Thy Holy Spirit be at work within us while 
we sleep, that we may rise up to-morrow with hearts 
prepared to love and serve Thee, and willing to do 
our duty to our parents, teachers, and companions. 
Thy mighty arm is around us, merciful Father, 
Thou art about our paths and about our bed ; we 
cannot see Thee, but we know Thou art ever close 
beside us, and canst penetrate our most secret 
thoughts and wishes. 0, guard us from sin, even 
in thought, and we shall fear no evil, for Thou art 
with us now, and will ever be, as long as we call 
upon Thee, and trust in Thee. 0, accept then our 
imperfect petitions. Almighty Father, and teach us 
to proclaim aloud in faith and love *' Hear, Israel, 
the Lord our God is one Lord, blessed be the name 
of the glory of His kingdom for ever and ever. 
And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy 
heart, with all thy soul, and with all thy might, and 
these words which I command thee this day, shall 
be in thy heart, and thou shalt teach them diligently 
unto thy children, and shalt speak of them when 
thou sitt6st in thine house ; when thou walkest by 
the way, when thou liest down, and when thou 
risest up, and thou shalt bind them as a sign upon 



FAMILY PRAYER. 1^9 

thine hands, and as frontlets between thine eyes, 
and thou shalt put them on the door-posts of thy 
house, and upon thy gates." 

Grant peace unto us, and unto all Israel, our 
Father, this night and evermore. — Amen. 



On Saturday mornings and Friday evenings, I 
would add the following, to remind my children of 
the sanctity and necessity of the Sabbath, though 
for the first few years the sacred and delightful 
duty of "keeping holy the Sabbath day," is more 
forcibly impressed by example than by precept, 
except making it the theme of God's love to- 
wards us, shown in not only giving us the day of 
rest, but so marking it by miracles, we cannot doubt 
either its holiness or its truth. 

Additional portions for Friday evenings and Satur- 
day mornings. 

Thou hast sanctified the seventh day to Thy 
name ; it was the completion of the work of Heaven 
and Earth. Thou didst bless it above all other 
days, and sanctified it above all seasons ; for thus 
it is written in Thy law : 



160 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

" And the Heavens and the Earth were finished, 
and all their hosts ; and on the seventh day, God 
ended His work which He had made, and He rested 
on that day and sanctified it because He rested 
thereon, and rejoiced in the work that He had 
made." 

They who observe the Sabbath day and call it a 
delight, the people who sanctify the seventh day 
shall rejoice in Thy kingdom, our Father, they 
shall all be satisfied and delighted with Thy good- 
ness, for Thou wast pleased with, and didst sanctify 
the seventh day, the most desirable of days didst 
Thou call it, and we therefore would love and sanc- 
tify it, according to Thy Word. 

0, our God, we beseech Thee to accept our days 
of rest. sanctify us with Thy Commandments, 
and ordain our portion to be with Thee and in Thy 
Law. 0, fill our hearts with Thy love, rejoice our 
souls with Thy salvation, and purify us to serve 
Thee in truth. Cause us, Lord our God, to in- 
herit Thy Holy Sabbath with love and delight, and 
grant that all Israel Avho sanctify Thy name may 
have rest thereon. Blessed art Thou, our Father, 
who hath, in infinite love, given us days of rejoicing 
and of rest. 



FAMILY PRAYER. 161 

On Friday evening add: 

"For the Evening and the Morning were the 
first day," therefore, Lord our God, do we com- 
mence our Sabbath on this evening, and 0, may 
our humble petition be acceptable to Thee, now and 
evermore. — Amen. 



TO READ THE WHOLE OF THE OLD TESTAMENT WITH 
THE EXCEPTION OF THE PSALMS, IN THE FIFTY- 
TWO WEEKS THAT FORM THE CHRISTIAN YEAR. 

For fifty-one weeks, read fifteen chapters a week, 
two every common day, and three on the Sabbath. 
The fifty-second week read fourteen chapters, there- 
by making only two on the Sabbath. Leap-year 
only makes the difierence of fourteen chapters for 
three weeks instead of one. Only experience can 
tell the extent of comfort found in the simple act 
of perusing two chapters of the Word of our God 
every day (one when preparing for rest at night, 
and one in the morning). It brings us in such close 
and trusting communion with our God. 

14 



SACRED COMMUNINGS 



(163) 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 



SELF-EXAMINATION FOR EVERT NIGHT. 

Grant, oh God, that I may look upon my heart 
with a stern, unflinching, and impartial eye ; that I 
may be enabled to discover all the sins and faults I 
have committed this day, and all the secret iniqui- 
ties that may be at the bottom of my heart. Oh, 
mercifully grant that the examination I am about 
to make, may be strict and just ; that no sinful love 
of self may blind me to my faults. Permit every 
iniquity I have committed this day, either in deed, 
or word, or thought, to come forth clear and light, 
as if my heart and thoughts were laid bare before 
me. Grant this, oh God, that I may become good 
and worthy in thy sight. — Amen. 

What have been my employments the whole of 
this day ? 

14* . , (165) 



166 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

Did I commence this day by devotion ? 

Did my thoughts wander while saying my prayers ? 

Have I allowed my thoughts to be fixed so much 
on any subject as to render it difficult to turn them 
thence to God, or other serious subjects ? 

Have I used His Holy name, or other sacred 
terms, needlessly or profanely ? 

Have I been obedient and affectionate to my 
parents ? 

Have I slighted their wishes, and been careless 
and inattentive in my conduct towards them? 

Have I in thought committed sin and accused 
them of injustice or impatience ? 

Have I done any act of unkindness towards my 
brothers ? 

Have I given way to uncalled-for anger or vexa- 
tion ? 

Did I bear and' forbear ? 

Have I given way to irritation or impatience ? 

Have I adhered, in word and thought, to truth, 
or permitted idle forms, or the wish to excite atten- 
tion, to make me utter falsehoods or exaggerate? 

Have I felt envy at the talents, virtues, beauty, 
praise, of my fellow creatures ? 

Have I attended to my domestic and social duties 
without murmuring ? 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 167 

Have I given up my own inclinations, when called 
upon to do so ? 

Have I gained any victory over my dearest wishes 
or temper ? 

Have I resisted any temptation ? 

Have I done all I had determined to do to-day ? 

Has any amusement gained undue ascendancy, 
and to indulge it have I given up any duty ? 

Have I felt irritated when told of my faults and 
errors, or humbled ? 

Has love of God, or love of praise, gained as- 
cendancy in any of my actions this day ? 

Have I wasted my time in idleness or folly ? 

Have I during this day walked with God ; that 
is, have I thought of Him in all my employments, 
have I inwardly remembered Him ? 

For what blessings vouchsafed me this day, ought 
I to be thankful ? 

Am I in a fit temper of mind to address my God ? 

Oh, Almighty Father, Thou seest I wish to be- 
come a good and faithful servant of Thy law. Thou 
knowest I desire my heart to be filled with love of 
Thee. Bend Thy gracious ear to the confession I 
have made. Forgive mine iniquity, for it is great. 
Draw nigh unto me, oh God. Have compassion on 
the weakness of Thy creature. Remove from me 



168 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

these sins, purify me, cleanse me, if it be by jfire. 
Let me be worthy in Thy sight, even if I become so 
by chastisement and sorrow. If I have done any 
trifling good, if I have performed my earthly duties 
in a manner pleasing to Thee, my Heavenly Father, 
oh forgive my sins, and guard me against them in 
the future, that each day I may draw nearer to my 
God, and each night my heart may glow in joy, in 
love, in adoration. Blessed be the name of the 
High and Mighty God, now and evermore ! — 
Amen. 



PRAYER. 



Oh, Gracious and Almighty God, be pleased to 
pour Thy blessing on the friends I have chosen; 
those whom Thou in Thy great mercy hast vouch- 
safed me, to sweeten the daily tasks and troubles, 
pleasures and enjoyments, of this life : Oh pour 
Thy blessing on them and accept their prayers ; 
and grant, Oh Eternal, that we may soon meet 
again, with that friendship which is now my happi- 
ness, shining pure and holy, untarnished by distance, 
unsullied by absence. 

Oh, grant that we may still love each other apart, 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 169 

as we did when we were together, and that affection 
may last through joy and gladness, through sorrow 
and suffering, till death divide us. Hear me, Oh 
gracious God ! hear me from Thy throne of mercy 
and of love. Oh, look down with benignity on a 
repentant child of Israel, and if my prayer be 
deemed acceptable in Thy sight, oh my God, for the 
sake of Thy great and holy Name, oh answer me ! 
Blessed be Thy name for evermore. 



PRAYER FOR FRIDAY NIGHT. 

Another week hath gone by, and the Sabbath 
day of the children of Israel hath begun. Great 
God of Israel, oh look clown from Thy throne, and 
pour Thy blesssing on my soul, that I may rise up 
on the morrow with a heart prepared to meet Thy 
Sabbath, and keep it holy. 

Oh, may my prayers be acceptable to Thee, most 
merciful Father ; oh, pour Thy holy spirit on my 
soul that it may be ready to meet with adoration, 
with joy and love, Thy Sabbath day. The duties 
of the week are done, the six days of labour and 
of toil are past, and a blessed day of rest and peace 
is dawning for the children of Israel, the people of 



170 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

God, though now we bow beneath His wrath in a 
stranger land. Oh, let not worldly thoughts inter- 
fere with Thy Sabbath ; but grant me, oh merciful 
and ever blessed God, a spirit of adoration and of 
love to descend upon my soul. Oh, grant that I 
may rise early, with a glowing yet a contrite heart, 
to meet Thy Sabbath, that holy day which Thou in 
Thine infinite mercy hast ordained to give rest and 
peace to Thy people Israel, Oh, God of my 
Fathers, hear me, God of Israel. Almighty and 
ever blessed God ! oh, answer me. May Thy great 
name be exalted and praised for evermore ! — Amen. 



PRAYER FOR SELf-KNOWLEDGE. 

Grant, most merciful God, that I walk in the 
paths of righteousness ; let not my foot slip or my 
thoughts turn astray, but be Thou my guide and 
stall"; and give me, my God, the true knowledge 
of my own sinful heart, that my faults may stand 
before me and I may know them ; and grant me, 
x'Vlmighty Father, Thy divine aid in conquering 
them, that I may become the support and comfort 
of my beloved parents. Blessed be Thy name, 
eternal and ever blessed God, who graciously in- 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 171 

clinest Thy ear to the prayers and petitions of Thy 
people Israel. Blessed be Thy name, no^Y and ever- 
more. — Amen. 



ANOTHER PRAYER FOR SELF-KNOWLEDGE. 

Almighty Father of mercies ! Father of Heaven, 
oh look down with benignity on a child of sin, thus 
lowly prostrate before Thee ; humbly, earnestly, 
fervently beseeching Thy divine grace to enable me 
to know myself; for my heart is deceitful above all 
things, and mine eyes are blind to its defects ; but 
Thou, oh Almighty Father, Thou "searchest all 
hearts, and triest the reins, that man may be tried 
according to his ways, and according to the fruits 
of his doing ;" and deceitful though our hearts may 
be to ourselves, they are known to Thee, oh God ! 
and hidden as they are from us, their every failing, 
passing weakness, their slender virtues, all are known 
to Thee, and all are open to Thy just and awful in- 
spection. But if we know not our own hearts, oh 
God, how are we to walk in thy paths ? how dare 
we approach even to the footstool of Thy dazzling 
throne, when our own sinful hearts are unknown to 
us? 



172 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

Father of Mercy ! King of Justice ! oh listen to 
my humble and earnest entreaty. Oh, God of 
Israel ! let not my prayers be disregarded, but 
grant them, if not for my sake, for the sake of that 
great and holy Name which is blessed above all 
things. Oh pour Thy divine grace upon my soul, 
that my heart may stand before me in all its 
wickedness. Discover to me, oh gracious God, 
my own sinful heart, its failings, its passions, and 
its weakness, that I may guard against them ; 
that I may not fall in error through self-ignorance. 
And discover to me, oh my Heavenly Father, those 
talents Thou hast bestowed on me, that I may 
walk in that path for which they were designed. 
Grant me Thy divine grace, oh blessed Lord God ; 
for Avithout Thy divine illumination all will be 
darkness, where all should be light. Make known 
to me the depths and devices of my heart ; for 
without Thy divine aid and instruction, oh my God, 
how dare I hope to know myself. Oh hear me, my 
Heavenly Father ! hear me as I thus prostrate 
myself before Thee. Oh listen to my earnest, 
beseeching prayer. Let me not plead in vain, oh 
merciful God, but bestow on me that divine light 
which will illumine the darkness. Oh hear me. 
Father of Mercy; hear me, thou King of Justice, 
whose dread hand is ever writing over our heads a 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 173 

record of our words, thoughts, and actions. Hear 
me, oh God of Israel, and for the sake of the 
glorious Messiah Thou hast promised unto Thy 
people, oh grant my fervent and humhle prayer. 
Blessed be Thy great and holy name, henceforth 
and for evermore ! — Amen. 



PRAYER FOR WISDOM. 

Father and Lord, creator of all hearts, to whom 
every thought is open, and from whom all good 
desires spring, oh endow me with wisdom to pour 
before Thee the petition I so earnestly desire, as 
may be most acceptable to Thee. Thou from whom 
all knowledge and wisdom come, without whose aid 
and inspiration our hearts would be sealed up, our 
minds a blank, oh give me increase of wisdom, 
knowledge, and mental power — ail those blessed 
gifts that lift man up from the sordid dreams of 
earth, and bid him listen only to the voice of that 
immortal spirit, that intellectual soul, which marks 
his union with Thee, and in which Thou speakest. 
My heart feels overwhelmed with this deep desire : 
too full to throw itself in words. Teach me how 
to pray ; grant me, oh grant me, that increase of 
15 



174 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

wisdom, of intellectual power, for which my whole 
being pines. Solomon implored Thee for the gift 
of wisdom, for the_right government of a mighty 
kingdom. Thou art the same one, almighty in 
wisdom, all-infinite in mercy, who heard and blessed 
that prayer. Oh grant me wisdom for the right 
performance of all my duties, whatever they may 
be — wisdom that will teach me Thee. Oh open 
to me the exhaustless treasures of Thy Word. 
Strengthen my memory, that it may contain, M'ith 
scarce an effort, all things worth retaining ; quicken 
my perception of all things good and beautiful, and 
true, that my moral being may be exalted and 
improved. Open and enlarge the mind Thy good- 
ness framed, and fill it with true wisdom, pure and 
goodly knowledge. Cultivate and increase the 
talents Thy love hath given, oh Merciful Father ; 
increase them, and grant me power to derive good 
understanding and increase of knowledge from the 
study of other minds more gifted and more experi- 
enced than my own. Awaken my intellect to 
receive and derive knowledge, and wisdom, and 
good from the ideas of others. Oh, Thou knowest 
the secret motive of this prayer : Thou knowest it 
springs from the deep love I bear that wisdom, 
that mental power Thou only canst bestow. Thou 
knowest I beseech Thee not only for those precious 



SAGRED COMMUNINGS. 175 

gifts, but that Thou wilt in Thy mercy so direct me 
with good counsel from Thy presence, that they 
may accrue to Thy glory and the good of my 
fellow creatures. Leave me not to my own ima- 
ginings. Save me, oh save me from self-righteous- 
ness, lest wisdom itself become a snare and lure to 
sin. Keep me lowly as a little child before Thee, 
Lord; but grant, oh grant me the wisdom, know- 
ledge, and mental power for which I pray. Thou 
alone canst grant my prayer, oh mercif^ Father ; 
Thou alone canst direct and lead me where to attain 
these blessed things, and keep me lowly, truthful, 
guileless, as the spirit of true wisdom prompts. 
Oh, my Father, cleanse Thou this lowly prayer 
from impurity and sin ; permit it to come before 
Thee and be accepted. Oh, through that love, that 
mercy which hath no bound, no space, grant me 
these blessed gifts, most merciful Father. But if 
it may not be on earth, oh teach me submission to 
Thy will. — Amen. 



176 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 



PRAYER FOR SUBMISSION TO THE DIVINE WILL. 

Oh, Thou who canst look into the inmost soul of 
Thy people ; Thou who knowest their secret thoughts, 
though hidden from all mortal eye ; Thou to whom 
their every feeling is open as the day, though to 
themselves all*is darkness ; oh, merciful and gracious 
God, if ^be acceptable in Thy presence, oh, grant 
the wish that is now uppermost in my heart. I 
know not what is for my good. I know not for what 
I pray, but, to my darkened eye, that wish seems as 
if it tended but to my happiness ; but, if it be not 
granted, teach me, oh my God, submission to Thy 
divine will. Oh, give me a lowly and an humble 
spirit, that I may feel all that Thou doest is right, 
and all that the Almighty wills is for the best. 
Though at the time my soul may sink beneath dis- 
appointment, yet, oh merciful God, let me still retain 
that even temper which is most acceptable to Thee. 
Teach me, my Heavenly Father, the right govern- 
ment of my easily excited feelings, that I may meet 
sorroAV and disappointment Avith an humbled and a 
chastened, yet not a failing or a murmuring spirit. 
Thou, oh God, knowest my heart, and Thou wilt 
not give me trials disproportioned to my strength. 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. . 177 

From Thy powerful hand all the happiness of 
this life Cometh, and from Thy dread hand cometh 
sorrows. Give me then, oh most merciful Father, a 
chastened and an humble spirit, that whatever may 
be Thy just decree, though it may not please Thee 
to grant my wish, I may bow in submission to Thy 
divine will, and say, with a rebuked and lowly heart, 
•Thy gracious will be done ! Hear me, oh merciful 
God, and, for the sake of Thy great and holy name, 
oh, answer me. — Amen. 



PRAYER FOR THE GOVERNMENT OF THE THOUGHTS. 

Teach me, oh Almighty God, so to govern my 
wild thoughts that the inclinations of my heart may 
not gain too great an ascendancy over them. I am 
a weak and helpless being, oh my God, and every 
day I feel that, without Thy merciful goodness in 
holding me up, I should sink and be no more. Oh, 
add to Thy manifold blessings, my Heavenly Father, 
and show me the means of governing my thoughts, 
and grant me strength to resist, when they dwell too 
much on the wishes and desires of this world. With- 
out Thy divine aid, oh my God, I know not how to 

govern my ever-varying thoughts ; I know not how 
15* 



178 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

to lead them in the right way, nor can I turn them 
from their favourite objects ; oh, teach me how to 
govern them so as to enable me to prevent them 
from following too much the wishes and inclinations 
of my heart, and then trifling sorrows and disap- 
pointments will be less often mine, for I am but a 
weak and sinful child of earth, and my wild thoughts 
will become wild desires, if I know not how to go- 
vern them. Grant me, oh my God, so to guide 
them in the right way that they may be free from 
guilt, or even folly ; and that, could my heart be 
open to the eye of man, as it is to Thee, oh God, I 
might not be ashamed of the thoughts contained 
therein. Hear me, oh my God, for I put my trust 
in Thee, for I know, weak and sinful as I am, with- 
out Thy divine aid I shall have no light to guide me 
in my dark and difficult path, and my strength will 
fail me ere I reach that destined spot, where peace 
and joy will be my blest reward. Then, through 
Thine infinite mercy, hear me, oh most merciful and 
Almighty God. Hear me and answer me from Thy 
throne of resplendent brightness, and, for the sake 
of Thy holy and awful name, oh, grant my prayer. 
Amen. 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 179 



PRAYER. 

Oh, Father, merciful Father, on whose support 
my yearning heart longs to rest : God of Heaven, 
whose gracious ear is open to the cry of the needy 
and disconsolate in spirit, who seest every secret 
throb of anguish, how momentary soever it may be, 
who markest the moments of deep repentance, of 
self-reproach, of yearning for the glories of Heaven ; 
oh, let those moments be acceptable to Thee, but let 
them not be so few, so very few ; oh, permit them 
more often to gain ascendancy over my soul, that 
too often worships things of an earthly mould ; oh, 
let it not break the first of those sacred Command- 
ments Thou in Thy wisdom didst bestow on Thy 
creatures ; and, by permitting earthly joys, earthly 
friends, earthly things to gain undue ascendancy, 
my soul may worship other Gods beside Thee. My 
soul shrinks in horror from the bare idea, but I know 
not my own heart, oh my God ; it is deceitful above 
all things, and, if there are some few moments when 
it is elevated and made better, it speedily sinks again 
into sin and weakness. Father, merciful Father, I 
know I cannot guide my own heart and ways ; Thou, 
alone, canst prepare and sanctify it for Thyself. 
Take my heart, and, in Thy own wisdom, mould it 



180 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

by what means Thou wilt, into Thy glorious likeness. 
Thou knowest all my temptations and my weakness. 
Order every circumstance of my life for ultimate 
eternal happiness with Thee. Regard not my 
prayers but as they tend to these only valuable ends. 
Oh let me thus believe, that I may in time be ena- 
bled to regard every event as coming direct from 
Thee, from that wisdom which cannot err, from that 
love which is too deep, too tender, for my corrupted 
and polluted soul to conceive. Oh, pour Thy Spirit 
on my heart, that it may be ready to receive what 
Thou sendest as best and kindest, though it should 
appear clothed in all that excites present anguish. 
Oh, let me thus believe, that I may feel Thy mer- 
j^ ciful power to support, and even enable me to re- 
joice, under the most severe afflictions ; for " whom 
the Lord loveth, He chasteneth." Oh, merciful 
Father, let not this spirit depart from me ; in time, 
permit my polluted soul to become fit habitation for 
Thee, that these elevated feelings, these Heavenly 
aspirations, may not be only transitory, but may in 
time take root, and so flourish as to guide my every 
action.* Father, merciful Father! support, pro- 
tect, encourage Thy poor servant, for if Thou, Lord, 
shouldst mark iniquities, oh Lord, tvlio shall stand ? 

* And truly was this most beautiful Prayer heard and an- 
swered by a merciful God to a loving and faithful servant. — Sarah 
Aguilar. 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 181 



MORNING HYMN. 



Bless thou the Lord, oh my soul, bless thou the 
Lord ! Nature, glorious nature ! arise thou from the 
sleep of night, and bless and magnify the great 
name of thy merciful Creator ! Ye little birds, 
raise your voices in the universal praise ! The 
works of Thy hand, oh God, animate and inani- 
mate nature, shall glorify Thy name. Night has 
withdrawn her sombre yet refreshing veil, and light 
and gladness Thou hast graciously permitted again 
to dawn. And whether the sun shines forth in 
radiant splendour, illumining all things M'ith its 
glorious light ; or the gentle, refreshing rain falls 
mercifully to moisten the parched and arid ground ; 
or the mighty wind cometh forth at Thy nod, to 
remove all impurities and imperfections from the 
air we breathe ; still will nature shoii* forth Thy 
glory, oh mighty God ; still will Thy omnipotent 
hand be blessed for the mercy it poureth upon us 
below. All speak of Thy mercy — the sun, the rain, 
the wind, are Thy instruments, oh God, and as such 
do they ever bring mercy and goodness with them. 
Oh, how my eager soul longs to pour forth a hymn 
of thanksgiving to Thee, for blessings, oh Lord, 
Thou hast vouchsafed me, greater far than many 



182 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

of mj fellow creatures ! Thou hast bestowed on me 
kind parents, while many are desolate orphans. 
Thou hast given me brothers, and many stand 
alone ; and food and shelter from the scorching sun, 
or falling rain, or howling wind, and many beg from 
door to door for a scanty subsistence, or starve 
within their miserable homes, unpitied and unsuc- 
coured. Oh,. Lord my God, what have I done to merit 
greater mercies, greater blessings, than they ; and 
yet my sinful heart repines and murmurs, if my 
wishes are not gratified, my inordinate desires all 
fulfilled. Oh let not the remembrance of Thy 
unnumbered mercies pass from my mind. Oh let 
me ever remember all I owe to Thee. Bestow on 
me the gift of gratitude, that will enable me to 
utter forth Thy praises, sing aloud Thy glory. 
Another night hath passed away, and again I wake 
in health, and my senses lend their aid to give 
enjoyment.. Oh, when I think on those whose eyes 
are ever closed on Thy glorious works, who can 
never behold or trace Thy footsteps, oh God, on 
the fertile earth, on the stupendous mountains, in 
the roaring ocean, in the far-stretching heavens, 
who cannot see Thy hand in the smallest flower 
that decks the emerald sod, when I think on them, 
how can I praise and glorify Thy name enough, for 
granting me a lot so far superior ? I can see, I can 
trace Thy wondrous hand, oh blessed be Thy name, 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 183 

oh Lord, praised and glorified and magnified, for 
such abundant mercy. And when I think of those 
bereft of speech and hearing, who can never join in 
raising their voice to bless Thy name, who can 
never give vent to their feelings in words of joy 
and thanksgiving, who are debarred from hearing 
the voice of those they love, of listening to the 
sweet, mild converse of their parents, sisters, friends, 
who can never feel their souls glow when a sacred 
strain of music soundeth, hallowing and blessing 
Thee, and I can speak and hear while they are 
plunged in 'endless silence, oh Lord my God, all- 
merciful, almighty, how can I render thanks suf- 
ficiently to Thee, for these unnumbered blessings ; 
how can my feeble voice utter them aloud, when 
the gratitude that filleth my heart preventeth words ? 
Oh, Thou art my God, and I will praise Thee, 
and exalt Thee for ever, with my whole soul, and 
my whole heart, and I will give thanks unto Thee, 
oh God, for Thou art good, and Thy mercy endureth 
for ever ! Thou hast given me blessings I deserve 
not. Thou hast given me mercies of which I 
am unworthy ; far above many of my fellow crea- 
tures hast Thou blessed me ; oh let me still feel how 
unworthy I am of such goodness, and each morning 
bless and glorify Thy name. Blessed art Thou, oh 
Lord, my God, now and for ever and evermore. 
Hallt'lujah ! Praise the Lord ! 



184 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 



HYMN OF PRAISE. 

My heart overfloweth with gratitude, oh my God, 
and knoweth not how to address itself to Thee. 
Thj great mercies and Thy never failing goodness 
come before me, and my heart is overwhelmed with 
thanksgiving and my lips are dumb ; but Thou, oh 
merciful and ever blessed God, Thou canst look into 
the inmost soul of Thy servants, and knowest their 
secret thoughts. How can I praise Thee for all 
the blessings with which Thou hast gitded my lot ? 
Teach me how to address Thee, oil my God, that 
my lips may utter forth the overflowings of my 
heart. How can I repay Thy never ceasing good- 
ness ? Guide me, oh merciful God, that I may 
know what path is most acceptable to Thee. With 
unnumbered blessings Thou hast surrounded me, 
and I know not in what way to speak Thy praises. 
Thou hast given me kind parents who have led me, 
beneath Thy guidance, in the right way. Oh, if 
my heart breaks when I think on all they have 
done for me, and I know not how to show my 
gratitude to them, how dare I hope to utter forth 
my gratitude to Thee, oh God, when from Thy 
hand all the happiness of this life cometh. Thou 
hast in Thy mercy given me talents which are not 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 185 

bestowed on every one, and shall my foolish heart 
be lifted up in pride, and look down upon my 
fellow creatures. Oh, when I forget to whom I 
owe all these things, remove from me those gifts 
Thou hast bestowed on me, and sink me lower than 
those I may despise. But my heart is not lifted up 
in pride ; it overfloweth with gratitude, and knoweth 
not how to speak its praises. Oh, when the affec- 
tion of those of my fellow creatures who are dear to 
me, when their affection is mine, my heart gloweth 
in silent thanksgiving to Thee, oh gracious and 
merciful God, when they praise me for any talent 
I possess. For the exquisite pleasure such affection, 
such praise bestow, my heart is lifted up to Thee as 
the source of all, and longs to pour forth its grati- 
tude in a song of praise. Oh Thou who oanst read 
the human heart. Thou who knowest the inability 
of words to speak Thy praise, let the silent grati- 
tude that filleth my overflowing heart ascend to Thy 
Throne, oh our Father, and be accepted by the 
God of Israel. My lips are mute, but my heart is 
filled with gratitude. 



16 



186 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 



EVENING PRAYER. 

I THANK Thee, oli my Heavenly Father, for the 
great mercies Thou hast vouchsafed me, in granting 
that another day should pass in health and gladness. 
I thank Thee for permitting me again to enjoy the 
calm repose of night, that no affliction of mind nor 
hody should prevent my ■welcoming this season of 
quiet as a blessed gift from Thee. I thank Thee, 
oh Lord, for granting me the comforts of a home, 
and shelter from the night air, from temptations 
and from perils ; and even the luxurious couch on 
which I lay me down to rest is Thy gift, oh merciful 
God, for how many of my fellow creatures are de- 
prived of that luxury, and after working hard 
through the day, how different is the couch on 
which their wearied and perhaps aching limbs are 
laid, to that which Thou in Thy mercy hast vouch- 
safed me! Oh how tame are my praises, my words 
of thanksgiving, oh God ! How unworthy I am of 
Thy goodness ! And I thank Thee, most merciful, 
for granting me such kind parents, who, throughout 
the day, are ever ready to contribute to my enjoy- 
ments, to assist me with their counsel in my studies 
and other employments, and to aid me in the attain- 
ment of my pleasures and pursuits. Do Thon re- 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. ^ 187 

wai'd and bless them, oh Lord my God, and guard 
them from all evil, distress, or bodily suffering. 
And bless all those kind friends and relations Thou 
hast so mercifully bestowed on me. 

Father of Heaven ! oh be Thou with me through 
the silent hours of night. Do not Thou forsake me 
in these senseless and unguarded hours. Thou, oh 
Lord, knowest the weakness of Thy creature ; then 
have compassion on me, and preserve me from the 
sins and follies of my own mind, and the terrors 
and the dangers that dwell in darkness and in 
silence, and from which Thy mighty arm alone can 
shield us. Oh teach my thoughts to fly to Thee ; 
to that glorious Heaven where Thou dwellest. Oh 
raise them from the grovelling earth, and bid them 
soar to Thee, where alone is perfect happiness and 
peace and glory. Permit me to rise up in the morn- 
ing, prepared to worship Thee, to receive all enjoy- 
ments as blessings from Thy hand, of which I am 
unworthy ; and sorrows as yet greater mercies, for 
they will chasten me, and draw me ne'arer Thee, and 
render me more fitted for another sphere. Oh Lord, 
my God, how dare I appeal to Thee for such great 
mercies, when every day, ay, every hour, either in 
word, or deed, or thought, I sin against Thee ? Oh 
forgive my manifold transgressions ; I acknowledge 
them, oh Lord, with an humble and penitent spirit, 



188- ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

for I know that tliey are great, and I can do no 
good in a degree to atone for them, for improvident 
and thoughtless when opportunities of doing some 
trifling good do occur, too frequently do I neglect 
them. 

Father of Mercy ! oh do not withdraw Thy good- 
ness from me, unworthy as I am ; do not forsake 
me, nor withdraw Thy Holy Spirit from me, for then 
the blessing Thou hast vouchsafed me, in permitting 
me to pray to Thee, will be denied me, and I shall 
become blinded and miserable as those whom Thou 
hast not permitted to know the holy consolation of 
humble and fervent prayer. Oh have mercy on 
such afflicted ones, oh Lord, and pour Thy Holy 
Grace, Thy Spirit, on their souls, and darkness and 
misery shall flee away, for they will know, and love, 
and praise their merciful Creator. Father, hear 
me ! and in Thy mercy hearken to the cry of Thy 
servant, for Thou seest my heart and thoughts — 
Lord, oh make them ever full of love for Thee. — 
Amen. 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 189 



PRAYER FOR STRENGTH UNDER BODILY AFFLICTION. 

Oh Lord, my God, Thou hast ordained that 

weakness and disease should deprive me of that 

health which Thou hast mercifully permitted should 

continue for so long a time. Oh grant that my 

spirit may not fail, whatever Thou mayst think fit, 

in Thy wisdom, to cause my hody to suffer. I do 

not murmur, oh Lord, my God, for I know all that 

Thou ordainest is sent in mercy, either to correct 

our sins, or to make us more fitted for another and 

more glorious sphere, and purify and cleanse us for 

Thee. I do not murmur, oh Lord, yet at this time 

of bodily suffering, when pain deprives us of our 

natural rest, when weakness imprisons our energies, 

when we turn, restless and uneasy, on a feverish 

couch, and our irritated blood causes us to behold 

everything through a wrong ttiedium, and we are 

ready to repine at every antioyance, and become 

impatient with those around us ; then, oh Lord, 

bestow on me strength of mind, a calm, contented 

spirit, to enable me to acknowledge Thy hand, 

and feel that all is sent in mercy, though it may 

appear as chastisement. Let not temper fail, 

but permit gratitude alone to fill my heart towards 

those whom Thou hast ordained should tend me in 
16* 



ISO ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

those moments of weakness and pain. Strengthen 
my spirit, though my bodily strength should fail, 
and turn my thoughts to Thee, oh God, in those 
moments when every amusement may be denied me, 
when sickness may deprive me of those pleasures and 
pursuits natural to health and life. Oh let me not 
repine for them, but bestow on me that calm and 
grateful spirit, those holy and blessed thoughts, 
which will enable me to bear all bodily afflictions 
with a resigned, and even a rejoicing spirit. Oh, 
my merciful Father, hear me, and do not Thou for- 
sake me ; when Thou mayst ordain bodily health 
should forsake me, be Thou with me ; strengthen, 
fortify, support me then, oh Lord ; let me lie under 
the shadow of Thy wings ; let me feel Thou wilt 
make my bed in my sickness, and strengthen my soul 
while my body faileth. Then, though pain encircle 
me, my thoughts shall be my comfort ; though sleep 
forsake me through the weary hours of night, I will 
not fear, for Thou wilt be with me, and train my 
thoughts to Thee. Oh, hear me, my God, and in 
Thine infinite mercy bestow on me that blessed 
strength, those holy and consoling thoughts, which 
will enable me to bear all bodily afflictions with that 
spirit most acceptable to Thee. Blessed art Thou, 
who answerest all who call upon Thee. — Amen. 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 19l 



PRAYER BEFORE MINaLING WITH THE WORLD. 

Oh, mighty Father, may it please Thee to pour 
Thy blessing imon me, now that I am about to enter 
upon a scene of more temptation than when I 
remain in my own home. Thou hast not commanded 
us to live entirely alone. Thou hast, in Thine infi- 
nite mercy, ordained that the happiness of this life 
should not be entirely centred in ourselves. Thou 
hast permitted a bond of brotherhood to unite Thy 
creatures ; then, in Thy mercy, oh Lord, be with 
me this night. Let me feel that Thou art with me, 
that Thy spirit dwelleth within me, and permitteth 
me to pass this evening as innocently as if I were 
alone with Thee. Let me not in thoughtless gayety 
forget myself, and do or say that to which, hereafter, 
I may look back with self-reproach and shame. 
Guard me from temptation and from sin. Permit 
me to behave in such a manner as will be acceptable 
to Thee, and pleasing to my fellow-creatures. Oh, 
let my conduct show forth Thy glory, oh Lord, and 
raise my beloved and ancient Faith in the estima- 
tion of the strangers amongst whom it may be my 
lot to mingle ; but, oh, guard me, in Thine infinite 
goodness, from pride or self-conceit. Make me 
humble, oh Lord, that words of flattery may fall 



192 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

harmless on my ear, and that I may not feel pained 
or disappointed at any neglect or unkindness I may 
receive. Oh, mighty Father, do not forsake me 
now ! Let my cry come up to Thee, and deign to 
spread Thy Holy Grace, Thy blessing on my soul. 
Let me but feel that Thou art with me, oh my God, 
that Thy spirit dwelleth within me, that innocence 
and virtue may be mine, whether alone with my 
God or mingling with my fellow-creatures. Oh, 
my Heavenly Father, hear me, and vouchsafe to 
answer me. Let Thy wings encircle me, Thy bless- 
ing be upon me, this night and evermore. — Amen. 



SATURDAY NIGHT, DEC. 24, 1836. 

Blessed Lord, I thank Thee for the calm and 
holy Sabbath I have this day passed. I thank Thee 
for granting me this opportunity of consecrating 
this day. Accept the hours I have dedicated to 
prayer, to meditation on Thy Holy Word ; let them 
ascend, as the incense of ancient burnt oflFering, to 
the foot of Thy throne. No longer are we per- 
mitted to gather together as a flock in Thy Holy 
Temple, and, under the blessed guidance of some 
chosen Shepherd, worship before Thee. No longer 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 193 

does the fire from Heaven consume the offering 
Thou, oh Lord, once deigned to accept. We are 
cast from Thee : no nation has sinned as we have ; 
to none have Thine abundant mercies been so mani- 
festly proved ; and even now Thy mercy is extended 
towards us. We were deserving of utter annihila- 
tion, of utter darkness, misery, of complete rejec- 
tion ; but yet Thy mighty arm is stretched over us 
to preserve and to redeem ; for Thou art indeed a 
God long-suffering and gracious, abundant in mercy 
and truth. Blessed are those words ! and hast 
Thou not said, oh God, the Sabbath day was to be 
a perpetual covenant, a sign between Thee and the 
children of Israel for ever ? Then, though we are 
scattered among the nations, deprived of Thy Holy 
Spirit, Thy illumining light, oh, " Do not abhor us 
for Thy name's sake, do not disgrace the throne of 
Thy glory : remember, break not Thy covenant with 
us." Thy grace has this day permitted me to pray 
with fervour, on this day to feel holy joy in the 
study of Thy law. Oh, my God, " Thou knowest, 
remember me and visit me" with a continuance of 
Thy Holy Spirit, that I may not fall back, and 
become accursed in Thy sight. My sinful nature 
bids me fear these blessed feelings will depart from 
me, that I shall become more guilty, sink deeper 
and deeper into sin. Oh, merciful Father, spare 



194 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

me, spare me tins. Let my whole life show forth 
Thy glory ; let it prove it is good to trust in Thee ; 
that Thou wilt yet have mercy on those who walk 
in Thy paths. Oh, when shall I become pure and 
holy in Thy sight ; when shall I be good enough to 
come to Thee ? Clothed as I am in iniquity and 
sin, there appears before me a dreary waste of life 
to be traversed, ere the goal is gained, filled with 
snares and temptations to draw me astray from the 
only path of safety ; a waste where, if I love to 
wander, if I refrain not my feet, the Lord will not 
accept me, he will remember my iniquities and sins. 
Oh, God, let me cling to Thee, failing, tottering as 
I am ; Thou, Thou alone canst save me, canst purify 
me, cleanse me. Behold, all my trust is in Thee, 
in that mercy, that love, which has been ours so 
long, which will not fail while I call upon Thee. 
Almighty Father, oh, blessed, blessed be Thy name, 
I feel, I know. Thou hast not utterly rejected me ; 
this day Thy mercy. Thy grace, have been mine. 
I look back upon my Sabbath, and I feel through 
Thy mercy I have not wasted, idled it away, this 
day. Oh, merciful art Thou, oh God, most merci- 
ful, thus to grant me one day to devote to Thee, 
and grace to feel, to acknowledge this great blessing. 
Blessed Lord, let me become more humble in my 
thoughts, more fervent in my prayers ; grant me a 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 195 

tighter rein on my -wandering thoughts and fancies, 
that I may not forsake Thee, that I may not go 
backward. I am full of sin : " I was shapen in 
iniquity; in sin did my mother conceive me." Yet, 
oh Lord, have mercy ; make me more worthy in 
Thy sight. Strengthen my good resolutions, let 
them not fade and die ; and, oh, when stretched on 
my bed of death, when life is departing, good Lord, 
graciously permit that every Sabbath spent in a 
manner pleasing to Thee, when in health, may stand 
clear and light in my recollection, to soften my cor- 
rupt and sinful body, to soothe my polluted mind, 
when the Heavenly essence Thou didst breathe 
within me shall burst its prison of clay, and seek 
the God who gave it ! 

Merciful Father, let this my earnest supplication 
be acceptable to Thee ; and now glory, glory, glory 
unto Thee ! oh, Thou Most Highest, for the grace 
vouchsafed me this day. " The Lord is nigh unto 
them that call upon Him, to all that call upon Him 
in truth." I will extol Thee, oh God, my King, I 
will bless Thy name for ever and for ever. Every 
day will I bless Thee, and praise Thy name for ever 
and ever ! Glory unto Thee, oh God ; glory and 
might and praise. Oh, preserve my spirit ; turn 
not away from me, oh God, quicken me for Thy 
name's sake ! — Amen. 



196 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 



SATURDAY NIGHT, DEC. 31, 1836. 

The last Sabbath, and the last day of the year ! 
one of the periods of time that mark out my existence. 
Oh, merciful Father, ■when I look around me, and 
feel another year hath rolled by, and the parents I 
revere, the relations and the friends I love, the darl- 
ing brothers of my heart, are yet spared to me in 
life, while so many of my fellow creatures are afflict- 
ed and bereaved ones, I ask myself, why am I so 
peculiarly favoured? Many changes have indeed 
been mine, and petty trials and vexations, anxieties 
and sorrows. I feel I have more cause for thanks- 
giving and praise, yet my polluted heart, though it 
hath learned to pray, still knows not how to praise. 
Oh God, I abhor, I hate myself for my ingratitude ; 
yet this night my soul appears deadened within me, 
dejected and sad with unknown sorrow, instead of 
being elastic and glad with praise and thanksgiving 
and glory unto Thee. Oh Thou who seest every 
whisper of devotion as it rises on my soul, let the mo- 
ments of silent gratitude, of acknowledged mercies, 
which Thou hast graciously permitted me some- 
times to feel glowing within me, now be acceptable, 
oh my God, to Thee. As in the awful hour of 
death, when the flesh faileth, and we cannot pray 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 197 

the prayers of prosperous and healthful hours, soothe 
our dying moments by the recollection that they are, 
even at that moment, pleading for us with Thee. 
So let the moments of gratitude and thanksgiving 
which I have felt, plead for me when my spirit lies 
imprisoned and wretched within me. Oh Lord, my 
lips refuse at this instant to utter words of praise, 
for my soul is borne down with the load of sin, that 
deprives it of its heavenly nature ; yet my heart 
acknowledges Thy mercies, blessed Lord, and Thou 
who canst read the heart, let its feelings be accept- 
able to Thee. Let David speak for me, my God and 
my Father : " I will sing unto the Lord as long as 
I live ; I will sing praises unto my God while I have 
my being." " My meditation of Him shall be sweet. 
I will be glad in the Lord. Bless thou the Lord, 
oh my soul, praise ye the Lord 1" 

Merciful Father ! manifold indeed have been Thy 
loving kindnesses to an erring child this year. Thou 
hast permitted me to lean more to Thee, and trust 
less in my own righteousness. Thou hast given me 
grace to know that I am full of corruption and sin. 
Thou hast allowed me to praise Thee in joy, to call 
unto Thee in grief, and Thou hast drawn nigh unto 
me in sorrow. Thou hast raised me up friends. 
Thou hast given me many moments of happiness, 
of peace, when all around seemed a dreary waste, a 
17 



198 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

dismal gloom. Thou hast given me grace to study, 
and wisdom in some cases to expound Thy Law. 
Thou hast mercifully made my belief clearer, and 
strengthened me in my faith. Thou hast given mc 
time and inclination to cultivate the talents Thou 
hast bestowed on me. Thou hast given me grace in 
some few things to adhere to my resolution and 
withstand temptation for love of Thy Law. Thou 
hast mercifully permitted me to feel the holy joy, 
the never failing comfort of religion, of trusting in 
Thee. Oh God, I feel, I know, this year Thou hast 
drawn me nearer Thee ! Oh blessed, blessed be 
Thy name even for that alone ! Awake, arise, my 
soul, cast off this lethargy, that I may praise my 
God for all that He hath done for me this year. 
Yes, I have felt the blessed influence of Thy Holy 
Spirit, oh my God, more than I ever did before. 
Even as I prayed, I have been answered ; in not 
one thing have I referred to my gracious God in 
vain. I feel now how sweet it is to trust in Him, 
How soothing to fly to Him in every trouble or per- 
plexity ; to praise Him, to call upon Him, to lean 
confidingly on His bosom ; to feel there is One who 
will never change, who, however earthly friends 
may change, will never forsake me. " Thou encom- 
passest my path, and my lying down, and art 
acquainted with all my ways. Yea, the darkness 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 199 

hideth me not from Thee, but the night shineth as 
the day, the darkness and the light are alike to 
Thee." 

Oh, I feel as if the spirit of the Lord dwelt more 
fervently with me at the end than at the beginning 
of this year. Good Lord, grant that it may be so ; 
each year make me more worthy in Thy sight, that 
I may shine more and more unto perfect day, that 
when I come to die, I may not feel the horrors 
of a misspent life rising to appal me. Then let 
Thy mercy uphold me, blessed Lord, then let me 
feel how good it is to trust in Thee, and if it may 
please Thee to take me to Thyself ere another year 
has run its course, let me end this book and this 
year with avowing my belief in the unity of God, 
the truth of the Jewish faith, in the Bible, as the 
only law which should guide our auctions and our 
lives, being the written Word of God, and in the 
firm belief that not my own righteousness, but the 
mercy of the one sole God, can render me fit to die, 
to ascend to Him, and be one of the blessed who 
will rise again, and glorify Him in the second Para- 
dise — restored Jerusalem ! 

Oh God, my God, let the contents of this little 
book, my thoughts and meditations here transcribed, 
be an acceptable offering in Thy sight. Blessed be 
the Lord God of Israel, from everlasting to ever- 
lasting. — Amen and Amen. 



200 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 



MEDITATIONS— SATURDAY NIGHT, JAN. 14, 1837. 

Merciful Father ! I thank Thee for permitting 
me to devote this day to Thee. Thou hast given 
me grace to pray, to meditate on Thy Word, to 
read Thy Holy Law, to give pleasure to my mother 
in my humble effort to explain Thy Word. Blessed 
art Thou, oh Lord ! blessed be Thy name ! Glory, 
glory, glory unto Thee ! Teach me how to praise 
Thee, my God. My lips refuse to utter the thanks- 
givings due to Thee. Teach me how to frame words 
of praise acceptable to Thee. 

A fortnight of the new year hath passed away, 
and Thy blessings are yet extended over me. Thy 
spirit, oh Lord my God, hath been granted me 
during that short interval. Thy grace alone enabled 
me to conquer depression during my mother's re- 
newed attack. Thy mercy alone removed anxiety. 
I did implore Thy blessing in a decision — Thy 
guidance ; and both were beneficently granted me. 
Oh, how can I praise and thank Thee sufficiently 
for that mercy, which hath given me so many en- 
joyments at home ! I pine not to leave my mother, 
when duty bids me stay. 

Oh, merciful God, Thou seest how I dread my 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 201 

• 

religious feelings should ever change. I know not 
the events of one hour ; I shrink from the dreadful 
thought that the close of the year may find me 
sunk in guilt, or at least retrograding, not advanc- 
ing, in Thy holy path, where T.hy right hand may 
lead me. The dawning year is to me as wide, as 
unmarked a blank as the pages of this little book.* 
Oh, merciful and gracious God, may this year be 
spent in Thy service, even as I dedicate this book 
most solemnly to Thee. Oh guide my thoughts that 
they may be of Thee, my words that they may glorify 
Thee, my actions that they may prove, in sorrow 
or in joy, in health or disease, in life or death, how 
good it is to trust in Thee. Oh, merciful Father, I 
fear to fall ; my soul shrinketh in dread lest my 
actions should deny my words, lest goodness should 
dwell upon my lips, and not within my heart. Thou 
alone canst enable me to live up to the spirit of the 
religion I profess. Blessed Lord, oh permit me to 
do so. Let me be a chosen servant of Thy Law. 
Let me ever feel that wherever I may be. Thou, oh 
God, art near me ; Thou wilt protect me while I 
call upon Thee. " Lord, Thou hast heard the desire 
of the humble ; Thou wilt cause thinner ear to hear." 
" Whither shall I go from Thy spirit ? whither shall 

* AVrittcn at the commencement of a new book of Sacred 
Communings and P*iyer. 

17* 



203 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

• 

I flee from Thy presence." Oh, how blessed is the 
thought that I cannot fly from Thee ! Thou knowest 
my heart; Thou readest my thoughts; " there is not 
a word on my lips, but lo, Thou, Lord, knoAvest it." 
"I said unto the Lord, Thou art my God, hear the 
voice of my supplications, oh Lord," and graciously 
permit my meditations this day to be pleasing in 
Thy sight. — Amen. 



PRAYER BEFORE RETIRING TO REST. 

Sovereign of the universe ! Lord of forgiveness 
and mercy ! may it be acceptable in Thy presence, 
oh Lord my God, to suffer my memorial to ascend 
before the throne of Thy glory for good. " Oh be- 
hold my affliction, for there is no soundness in my 
flesh, because of Thine anger, nor rest in my bones, 
because of my sins." And now, therefore, oh God 
of forgiveness, incline Thy tender mercy toward me, 
and enter not into judgment with Thy servant. 
And if, before the morning dawns, disease and suf- 
fering should take the place of my present health, 
and life give place to death ere I again leave my 
bed ; if my visitation to dcatli should be near, oh 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 203 

grant, Almighty Father, that with my last breath 
I may acknowledge Thy unity as it is written in 
Thy Law : " Hear, oh Israel, the Lord our God is 
one Lordlf' and that I may die in the faith of my 
fathers, which I have through life professed and 
endeavoured to act up to. Remove the terrors of 
death, and when it comes permit me in Thy mercy 
to meet it cheerfully and resignedly. Whatever 
may be the anguish of those moments when soul 
and body part, let me not murmur nor repine, but 
think only on the mercies which have been mine 
through this life, and the glorified happiness of 
hereafter. Be Thou with me in that awful hour, 
oh my God. Grant me a lowly repentance, and 
the blessed assurance I am forgiven, through that 
mercy which hath been mine so long, that mercy 
which never faileth. Let me feel Thy Spirit on 
my soul, oh God, in that last hour, comforting and 
reviving my dying moments ; and let my own con- 
duct, when I am about to die, prove to all around 
me, how blessed it is to trust in Thee, to call upon 
Thee in my hours of health and joy. Oh permit 
me then to prove the agony of death is swallowed 
up in triumph and in victory. Blessed be the name 
of the Lord God of Israel, for ever and ever. — 
Amen. 



204 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 



PRAYER IN TIMES OF BODILY SUFFERING. 

Answer me wlien I call, oh God of my righteous- 
ness. Thou who enlargest me when in distress, be 
now gracious unto me and hear my prayer. Hear 
my voice, oh Lord, when I cry. For the sake of 
Thy name, oh Lord, revive me. 

Behold, I acknowledge with fervent gratitude and 
praise that great abundant mercy which hath sus- 
tained me so long in health, which hath so long 
guarded me from disease and suffering of any kind. 
Blessed art Thou, oh my God, who healest the sick. 
Blessed art Thou who orderest death, and restorest 
to life, and causest salvation to spring forth. And 
most blessed Lord, I thank and bless Thee for my 
present suffering, for I know all that Thou ordainest 
is sent in mercy, in love; for mercy and love are 
thy attributes, oh God, and even what appeareth in 
itself chastisement and sorrow, is a blessing from 
Thy almighty hand. Then add yet more to Thy 
great mercies, oh God ; let me still feel Thy spirit 
dwelleth within me, and guardeth me from those 
sinful repinings, or idle and frivolous thoughts, 
which sometimes float around the bed of sickness. 
Be Thou with me, support and strengthen me now, 

I 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 205 

oh blessed Lord. Deprived of the amusements and 
pursuits of health and life, oh do Thou grant me 
those blessed thoughts of Heaven and of Thee, of 
religion and Thy Word, which will soothe me, not 
only in moments of weakness and langour, but even 
in the hour of intense and constant pain. If Thou 
art with me then, my God, if Thou wilt fill my mmd 
with Thee, the pangs of the body are as naught. 
Blessed Lord, do Thou make my bed in my sickness ; 
let me cling to Thee, and so trust in Thee and love 
Thee, that I may not look forward with gloom or 
terror, to a continuance of suffering, however long 
may be the period of my illness ; however distant 
ray recovery. 

Oh, merciful Father, guard me from repining, 
from impatience, from ill-temper ; oh permit me 
cheerfully, patiently, resignedly, to meet Thy will, 
however it may be clothed in bodily or mental 
suffering. Guard me from indulging in wishes that 
may be contrary to Thy decree ; in desires that may 
be sinful ; and permit me, oh God, humbly and 
gratefully to acknowledge and bless Thy hand, for 
the blessings that still surround me, for the plente- 
ous mercies that are daily mine. And may it please 
Thee, oh my God, to bless, protect, and reward all 
those who so kindly tend me ; let not their health 



206 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

suffer, either from anxiety or fatigue ; let tliein 
trust in Thee, and be ready to meet Thy will, 
whatever it may be ; let not pettishness on my 
part, ever cause them pain ; let gratitude and love 
ever gain the ascendancy in my heart, towards 
those whom Thou so mercifully decreest should 
tend me. Oh look down and answer me, oh Lord, 
my God ; I pray not for the recovery of my body, 
but that it might please Thee to enlighten and 
deliver my soul from the sins of its polluted prison, 
that it may be prepared, should the final strife be 
near, for a glorified triumph over anguish and 
death. And while I thus pray, I acknowledge before 
Thee, oh Lord, my God, and the God of my fathers, 
God of the spirit of all flesh, that both my cure and 
death are in Thy power. May it be acceptable in 
Thy presence to heal me with a perfect cure, and 
may my memorial and prayer ascend into Thy pre- 
sence, and be acceptable as the prayer of Hezekiah 
in his sickness. But if the time of my visitation to 
death be near, oh let my death be an expiation for 
all my sins, iniquities, and transgressions, wherein 
I have sinned, offended, and transgressed against 
Thee fi-om the day of my existence ; and let my por- 
tion be in the Paradise of Eden, and purify me to 
enjoy the future state reserved for the righteous. 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 207 

" Oh show me the path of everhxsting life ; for in 
Thy presence is the plenitude of joy, and at Thy 
right hand everlasting pleasures." Blessed art 
Thou, oh Lord, who hearest prayer ! 



CONCLUDING SUPPLICATION FOR EVERY MORNING. 

Almighty Father, may it please Thee to per- 
mit this day to pass innocently, sacredly, acceptably 
to Thee. Grant me Thy Holy Grace, that I may 
be enabled to resist any unlooked-for temptation, 
strength to give up inclination and time if required, 
with cheerfulness and promptness ; wisdom to cul- 
tivate and improve the talents Thou hast so merci- 
fully bestowed on me. Enable me, oh blessed Lord, 
to remember and attentively to perform my domestic 
duties. Let not my favourite pursuits occupy my 
mind so much as to make me forget them, or turn 
my thoughts from Thee. In all things, oh merciful 
Father, permit me to remember Thee. Guard me 
from the sins I committed yesterday, Avhether se- 
cret or presumptuous. Preserve me from all ill- 
temper, irritation, and impatience, from too violent 
or foolish mirth, and from that depression which 



208 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

bids me sorrow without a cause. Endow me with 
Thy Holy Spirit, oh Lord, that sin may not gain 
dominion over me, neither this day nor evermore. 
" Search me, oh God, and know my heart, try me, 
and know my thoughts, and see if there be any 
wicked way, and lead me in the life everlasting." — 
Amen. 



SATURDAY NIGHT, FEB. 25, 1S37. 

On, Lord, Thou art my God ! I will exalt Thee, 
I will praise Thy name, for Thou hast done wonder- 
ful things. " Thou, whose councils of old were faith- 
fulness and truth," Thou who, when Solomon implored 
Thee for the gift of wisdom, didst answer him with 
blessing, oh, merciful Father, may it please Thee to 
pour Thy blessing upon me, and increase and im- 
prove the gifts Thou hast vouchsafed mo. My every 
enjoyment I owe to Thee ; without Thy sustaining 
grace Thy gifts would not have procured me the 
aflfection and regard of those I love, nor the many 
hours of happiness that each day are mine. Father, 
Thou knowest the heart of Thy servant ; Thou 
readest its most earnest, yet most secret wishes. I 
call upon Thee, oh Lord, for Thine attribute is 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 209 

mercy, Thy name is love. Oh, hearken unto my 
prayer, let my cry come up to Thee. Oh, Almighty, 
Thou hast given me one talent, not bestowed on all 
Thy creatures ; one that permitteth me quietly and 
cheerfully to remain at home, without desiring a 
change, that maketh home the dearest spot to me. 
Blessed Lord, permit me, in Thy mercy, by that talent 
to do some little good to my fellow creatures. I know 
not the true motive of my wishes ; to my darkened 
and polluted eye, it seems but love of Thee, and love 
of them ; but Thou knowest my heart, oh Lord, oh, 
grant my prayer accordingly. If indeed the motive 
of these desires be vanity or ambition, oh, remove 
them from my heart, even if it be by fire. " Create 
in me a clean heart, oh God, renew a right spirit 
within me." Take from me such corrupted hopes, 
let them not remain secret, but not less powerful 
sins. But, if my humble petition be pleasing unto 
Thee, oh God, if my motive be pure and holy in 
Thy sight, oh, do Thou with me what seemeth best 
to Thee. Father, I have put my trust in Thee, let 
me not be ashamed ; deliver me in Thy righteous- 
ness. Blessed Lord, I know not for what I pray ; 
my whole heart is open to Thy awful inspection. 
Oh, have compassion on Thy poor servant. " Lord, 
Thou knowest my down-sitting and mine up-rising ; 
Thou understandest my thoughts afar off, for there 
18 



210 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

is not a ■word on my tongue but lo ! oh Lord, Thou 
knowest it altogether." Thou knowest the most 
earnest wish of my heart — by Thy gift, oh Lord, 
to assist my parents, to add my mite to tlie hap- 
piness of my fellow creatures, " to glorify Thy 
name in the great congregation, to praise Thee 
before much people." If my motive be but vain 
ambition, Almighty Father, in Thy mercy tear it 
from my heart, and consume it in Thy just wrath. 
But, if it be otherwise, if it be pure and pleasing 
in Thy sight, teach me to say, to feel, Thy will be 
done, that cheerfully, unrepiningly, I may bow to 
Thy decrees, whatever they may be. " Oh, God, 
Thou knowest my foolishness, and my sins are not 
hid from Thee." Hear me, oh Lord, for Thy loving 
kindness is great ; turn unto me according to the 
multitude of Thy tender mercies, and hide not Thy 
face from Thy servant, for I am in trouble. Let 
Thy salvation, oh God, set me on High. 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 211 



PRAYER FOR GUIDANCE IN TIMES OF INDECISIOISr. 

Father, merciful Father ! oli look down from 
Thy dwelling-place on high, and have compassion 
on a child of Israel who calleth on Thee ; Thou to 
whom all things are light, who knoweth all things 
at their very beginning, Thou seest the doubt and 
indecision of Thy servant. Oh guide me in this 
matter ; teach me what path is most acceptable to 
Thee, my God, and show me the clear line of duty 
to my parents. Father, my whole trust is in Thee. 
I know whatever Thou ordainest is best, however it 
may interfere with my own wishes and inclinations. 
I commit myself to Thee, oh God ; my soul and 
body are in Thy hands, and all my affections, hopes, 
desires, pleasures, are also Thine. Oh do Thou 
lead me in the right way ; mine eyes are darkened, 
and I shall stumble without Thy supporting hand. 
I know not my own heart, oh my God ; it is deceit- 
ful above all things ; its very wishes are hid from 
me. I know not what is for my happiness, and 
therefore am I hesitating and weak, varying and 
inconstant ; each day a new emotion seems pre- 
dominant within my heart. Were I called upon to 
decide, I know not in what way to do so. Oh, my 
Father, lead me in Thy way, and teach me what is 



212 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

most pleasing unto Thee. Wherever I am, let Thy 
blessing hover round me as a shield. Be Thou 
with me, whether in the shelter of home, or by a 
stranger hearth. Let me feel Thy blessed spirit on 
my soul, guiding my every action, turning my 
secret thoughts to Thee. Let not my own will 
gain ascendancy ; let not my own wishes bid me 
forget to look to Thee ; govern my thoughts, that 
they may not rest too much on any one desire. 
Let not anticipation deck the future with colours 
whose brightness is tarnished as soon as the future 
becomes the present. Whichever way I turn there 
seems an equal degree of pleasure and of pain. I 
know not which is most acceptable to Thee. Father, 
Thou knowest that I trust in Thee, that my only 
hope is in Thy mercy. Oh, let that mercy guide 
me now ; and whichever way the darkness of inde- 
cision be removed, oh let me feel that it is Thy will, 
that Thou hast ordained it thus, that however my 
own wishes may appear to rebel, however my sinful 
thoughts may start objections, oh permit me still to 
trust in Thy wisdom, and lean on Thy unfailing 
mercy. I call upon Thee, oh my God, with my 
whole heart. Answer me for Thy Name's sake ! — 
Amen. 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 213 



THANKSGIVING AND PRATEK. 

Almighty and ever blessed God, oh permit a 
child of Israel to pour before Thee the thanksgiving 
of a grateful heart, and the prayer for continued 
mercies. The period to which I looked forward 
with pleasure and pain, is nearly over, and Thou 
hast hearkened to the fervent supplication I offered 
up at the commencement, and mercifully and abun- 
dantly answered it. 

Oh, my God, my lips would praise Thee, but my 

spirit is dull and tame, and I cannot raise it unto 

Thee. Oh, my God, truly I may say, I called upon 

Thee, and Thou didst answer me. " Never have I 

called in vain. Oh Thou who hearest prayer, why 

unto Thee will not all flesh come ?" Father, I thank 

Thee for Thy unnumbered mercies. I bless Thy 

name, for from Thee all blessings come. Oh accept 

my acknowledgment and praise, tame and spiritless 

though it be. Oh let Thy mercy purify it from 

imperfection and make it acceptable to Thee. I 

bless Thee, oh my God. Father in Heaven, Thou 

hast in Thy wisdom ordained, I should leave for a 

short space the home I love. The change to my 

darkened eye would promise pleasure, but Thou 

seest the dread and pain which is also mingled with 
18* 



214 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

it. Oh let Thy spirit be with me -wherever I may 
dwell. Guard me from the temptations that in 
scenes of pleasure will undoubtedly surround me. 
Grant me Thy grace to resist them all. Shield me 
with Thy wings ; let me not fall from Thee. Oh 
let me not desert the path I have chosen. Oh per- 
mit not over-excitement to gain ascendancy and 
banish self-possession. Guard me in Thy mercy 
from that miserable depression which ever follows 
extreme excitement. Grant me a holy frame of 
mind, oh God ; let me think, speak, and act, in all 
things soberly. Thou seest where my wishes tend ; 
Thou knowest anticipation is decking the future 
with many varied hues, which I know will fade and 
die. Oh, mighty Father, guide me on in safety ; oh 
let not such joyous fancies occupy my mind ; let 
me not think of the future, for I know it not. Man 
has already employed it, but it is not ours, it may 
never be. Thou mayest in mercy refuse the wishes 
that now seem predominant. Teach me submission 
to Thy will, patience under disappointment. Thou 
mayest ordain its fulfilment; grant that I may 
meet happiness calmly, soberly. 

Oh, my God, I commit myself to Thee. Do Thou 
preserve Thy servant, for my own plans are as no- 
thing. I know not the future. Let Thy blessing 
hover round me, oh my God, shielding me from 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 215 

evil, guarding me from temptation, from excite- 
ment; and if disappointment cometh, oh teach me 
to meet it submissively and cheerfully. Father, 
hear my prayer, for Thy Name's sake ! 



BIRTHDAY MEDITATION. 

This day have I completed my twenty-first year; 
and not only do I commence another year, but, ac- 
cording to many, another period, when feelings, 
habits, inclinations, change : will it be so with me ? 
Oh, blessed Lord, God of Israel, let not my reli- 
gious feelings change, save for the better ; and for 
all others, Lord, do Thy will. " My times are in 
Thy hand;" Thou knowest what is best for me, and 
to Thy Almighty care, without one doubt, I commit 
myself; for Thou hast been merciful unto me, oh 
God most merciful. To all my prayers, imperfect, 
stained with earth though they be, Thou hast given 
answers. I have never called on Thee in vain. In 
the midst of tribulation, of greater sorrow and 
anxiety than it had ever before been mine to know, 
I called aloud on Thee, and not only did Thy blessed 
spirit descend upon my soul, calming with its Hea- 



216 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

venly influence my bewildered and miserable thoughts, 
but even creature-comfort Thou didst bestow on me, 
when I expected it not. Thou didst raise me up 
earthly friends. My prayers for the afflicted Thou 
badst return with blessing on my own bosom. I 
looked in Thy Book, and there were promises to 
soothe and cheer, for I felt they came from Thee. 
I have come unto Thee in all circumstances, I have 
prayed for Thy blessing, Thy guidance in all things, 
and graciously hast Thou permitted me to feel that 
my Father in Heaven heard and answere(ime. 

Thou hast removed the clouds that overwhelmed 
my onward path ; Thou hast preserved unto me all 
that are dear in health and life, while so many are 
laid low in suffering and bereavement. Thou hast 
enabled me to cultivate Thy gifts, and give pleasure 
by them to my friends. Thou hast permitted me to 
improve in the blessed knowledge of Thee and Thy 
Word, to satisfy the doubting, to give pleasure to 
my beloved parents. Oh, my God, I have prayed 
unceasingly to be their blessing ; their words would 
say my prayer was granted, but to Thee, to Thee 
alone, be all the glory, if I am indeed their comfort ; 
if the little attentions, the affection I endeavour to 
prove for them, afford them so much happiness, oh, 
my God, it is Thy work ; permit it to continue, 
enable me in the new dawning year to be even more 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 1.'17 

governed in my conduct towards them, permit me 
yet more to prove the love, the duty I owe them 
both. Let m8 never forget myself, let not one im- 
patient word, one rebellious thought, ever pass my 
lips or mind. Thou hast blessed me in my parents, 
oh my God ; oh, accept my fervent thanksgiving for 
Thy abundant goodness. Preserve them to me. 
Mighty Father, permit my brothers to be their 
blessing and support. I have prayed for my bro- 
thers, and Thou hast answered me. 

Father! in vain would I enumerate the blessings 
that have been mine this past year ; unceasing, un- 
changing they surround me, and my praise is too 
dull and tame to ascend to Heaven. Oh, my God, 
Thou seest I feel Thy goodness, my trust is still in 
Thee, Thee alone — let it never waver. The years 
of girlhood are passed, and now more than ever 
have I become a responsible being. Oh, guide me 
in the right path, let not my foot slip, let not my 
thoughts turn from Thee, my God. My God, in 
Thy mercy strengthen, purify religion within me : 
Oh, Thou knowest how I dread a change, that I may 
forget Thee, and that the good feelings of former 
years may fall away and die. Many have been the 
sins of the past year, yet religion has remained the 
mainspring of my every thought, and permitted me 
to be more contented than in either of the former 



218 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

years. I have thought more of Thee, I have loved 
Thee more ; oh, let me love Thee more and more, 
that, when the hour of trial comes, I may fly to Thee 
for refuge ; guard me from sin. Thou kno^yest if 
suffering be best, and, if it be, oh, teach me hoAv to 
meet it. Let me on my next birthday feel I have 
drawn nearer Thee, that my spirit is quickened, my 
devotion warmer. Whatever may befall me in the 
newly-dawning year, permit it to tend to tlie im- 
provement of religion within me. Let me still trust 
in Thee, let me still rest securely on Thy loving 
mercy ; and, if death be my portion ere I behold 
the close of another year. Almighty Father, do 
Thou, in Thine infinite mercy, soften the mental 
terrors, the bodily anguish of a death-bed, and take 
me to Thyself. " I have trusted in the Lord, and 
therefore I shall not fall ; I called upon Him, and 
He answered me. Blessed be the name of the Lord 
God of Israel, from everlasting to everlasting." — 
Amen. 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 219 



PRAYER. 



Father of mercies, Thou who hast given me not 
only the ability to think, but the power to express 
my thoughts in appropriate words ; Thou who hast 
gilded my earthly lot with a gift so precious, that 
time never hangs heavily, nor are my spirits de- 
pressed frora-'a mind vacant and unemployed ; oh, 
my God, may Thy blessing fall upon my new ap- 
pointed task. Grant me the power to embody the 
thoughts that are constantly flitting across my 
brain. Permit me to show forth Thy glory in all 
I write. And if worldliness and frivolity must 
mingle in my task, let them be hallowed by show- 
ing clearly those rocks against which, were I 
tempted, I might fall. In portraying the cha- 
racters of others, oh my God, let my own heart 
stand before me with all its natural sins and faults. 
Let Thy blessing so sanctify my appointed task, 
that it may assist me in the knowledge of myself. 
Let my religious and moral duties appear even more 
clearly before me as I thus write. Oh, my God, I 
acknowledge Thy beneficent hand with fervent gra- 
titude and thanksgiving, in the pleasure that Thy 
gift bestows ; do Thou bless it unto me, by enabling 
me thus to show forth Thy glory, and obtain a bet- 



220 ^ ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

ter knowledge of myself. Father, Thou knowest 
my heart ; oh have mercy on Thy servant. In my 
newly designed task, let it not gain as much do- 
minion over my heart as did the last. I trust in 
Thy mercy, mighty Father. Oh guard me in future 
from such engrossing fancies. Enable me to give 
up with cheerfulness and good temper this, my 
favourite amusement, if duty in any way demands 
it. Guard me from sacrificing employments of 
more consequence to find time for this. Let Thy 
blessed spirit be with me, merciful Father ; and oh ! 
let me never for one moment forget that this enjoy- 
ment is Thy gift, and as such commands me ever 
to be prepared to render it back to Thee, whenever 
and however it may please Thee to recall it. Father, 
let not these thoughts depart from my soul, but 
sanctify and bless them. 

If it be acceptable to Thee, oh my God, grant 
me health and leisure, peace and ability to complete 
the task Thou hast enabled and permitted me to 
commence. But if such be not Thy will — if ill- 
health in those around me, increased duties, or any 
other cause, prevent the indulgence of my favourite 
pursuit, oh do Thou pour Thy blessing on my soul, 
that I may say from my heart with rejoicing love 
and trusting faith, "Not my will, not mine, but 
Thine, oh Lord, be done." My fervent petitions are 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 221 

before Thee, almighty and beneficent God, oh grant 
them according to Thy will. — Amen. 



EVENING PRAYER. 

Another day hath passed, oh most merciful and 
gracious God, and night, which Thou in Thy great 
goodness hast ordained to bring rest and sleep to 
the children of earth, is at hand. Almighty and 
ever blessed God, oh guard me and all the inhabit- 
ants of this house from the terrors of the night. Oh 
grant that gentle and refreshing sleep descend on 
mine eyelids, and that I may wake again in the 
morning, with health and strength renewed, to go 
through the duties of the day. Oh preserve me 
from evil dreams, and grant that happy and inno- 
cent visions may flit around my pillow. Guard 
my sleeping thoughts from impurity and guilt, oh 
Eternal, that when I wake in the morning my first 
thought may be on Thee, and on Thy unnumbered 
mercies, oh my Father. Let Thy glorious works, 
Thy never-ceasing mercies, be ever present to my 
mind, when I lie down at night and when I rise 

up in the morning ; permit them to be so strongly 
19 



222 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

impressed within me that love and gratitude may 
ever fill my heart towards Thee, gracious Sovereign 
of the Universe ! Lord alike of heaven and earth, 
blessed be Thy name ! 

Almighty Father, I have sinned through the past 
day, but mine eyes are blind, and my sins are hid 
from me. I have failed in love and devotedness to 
Thee, oh Lord, and many other sins from me con- 
cealed are known to Thee, oh Lord, and Thou wilt 
not forget them. Oh have mercy, and pardon, for 
Thy great Name's sake, the sins I have committed in 
the hours that are past, and through Thine infinite 
mercy. Almighty Father, give me strength to guard 
against them in the future. If I have performed 
my earthly duties pleasingly to Thee, oh my Father, 
to Thee be all the glory ! Lead me in Thy path, 
that I may perform my duty better and better every 
day, Father ! Have mercy on me, and in the hours 
of darkness be Thou my guardian and my shitld. 
Oh pour Thy blessing on me, and grant, oh Eternal, 
that on the morrow I may wake early to pray, and 
with renewed health and spirits rise to do my duties 
on earth. Oh hear me, Almighty Father, and 
through Thine infinite mercy grant my prayer. 
Blessed be Thy great Name, for evermore ! — Amen 
and Amen. 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 223 



PRAYER FOR EVERY NIGHT. 

Almighty Father ! if it please Thee to grant 
health and peace to descend on this my home, and 
all that are dear to me, that I jnay be enabled 
regularly to employ my time, oh let Thy blessing- 
attend me, and enable me to feel Thy spirit dwelleth 
"Within me, and encom-ageth all I do. Aid me to 
keep my resolutions. Assist me in the cultivation 
of those talents Thy loving kindness hath bestowed 
on me, that in the proper use of them I may show 
forth Thy glory, and repay my parents for the tender 
care they have taken of my infant years. And yet, 
Almighty Father, in Thy mercy guard me from the 
sin of selfishness ; let me not become so engrossed in 
my own pleasures and studies as to forget or neglect 
my domestic and social duties. Let me bear sub- 
missively whate"ver it please Thee to ordain, and 
give me grace cheerfully and willingly to give up 
my own inclination for the sake of others. Let Thy 
blessing be with me, oh Lord. Let health and peace 
be the portion of all around me, and permit me in 
Thy mercy to adhere steadily and calmly to the 
rules I have laid down. As Solomon saith, "for 
everything there is a time," permit m5 to perform 



224 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

my earthly duties in that manner most acceptable 
to Thee. Blessed be Thy Name ! — Amen. 



MORNING HYMN. 

Blessed art Thou, oh gracious and ever blessed 
God, who hast ordained another day should dawn 
for me. Blessed art Thou, who, in Thy great 
mercy, hast permitted me to wake in health and 
strength from the terrors of the dark and silent 
night. Thy shield was around me; Thy arm sus- 
tained me ; even in sleep Thou wilt not forsake 
me. Thou withdrawest not Thy arm from me., lest 
I sleep in death. Thou hast recalled my flitting 
soul, and I wake and think, and rise and move, and 
my soul would praise Thee, oh my God, but it hath no 
words adequate to speak those glorious praises ! The 
sun, when it shines forth in its splendour, deluging 
all things with its flood of brilliant light, proclaims 
Thy Majesty, oh Lord ! The rain, the wind, speak 
of Thy unchanging mercy. Thy constant love for 
man. The little birds have raised their early carol, 
and their voices sing to the glory of their beneficent 
Maker: bul I know not how to utter forth Thy' 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 225 

praises, oh our Father ! my lips are mute. I look 
forth on all speaking nature, and my heart pro- 
claims Thy glory, and my soul is filled with grati- 
tude and love. Oh, my Father, accept the thanks- 
giving of my heart, for how can I praise Thee, oh 
Lord, according to Thy works ; how can I speak 
my thanks for Thy never-ceasing goodness ? Oh 
teach me to walk in Thy ways, oh my God, that I 
may come near Thy footstool. Oh lead me in the 
paths of righteousness, that my soul may utter forth 
Thy praises, that my lips may speak my gratitude 
and love. Oh Thou art my God ; Thou art my 
God, and I will praise Thee, and exalt Thee for 
ever, with my whole soul, and my whole heart ; and 
I will give thanks unto Thee, oh God, for Thy 
mercy endureth for ever. Thou hast given me 
blessings I deserve not. Thou hast given me mer- 
cies of which I am unworthy. Far above many of 
my fellow creatures hast Thou blessed me. Oh let 
me still feel how unworthy I am of such goodness, 
and each morning bless and glorify Thy Name. 
Blessed art Thou, oh Lord my God, now and for 
ever. Hallelujah ! Praise ye the Lord ! 

19* 



ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 



MORNING PRAYER. 

Another day hath dawned, oh most merciful and 
ever blessed God. Oh grant that it may be passed 
in virtue. Give me, oh our Father, that command 
over my heart during this day, that whatever may 
chance to annoy or grieve me, I may never lose that 
even temper and thankful spirit which are most ac- 
ceptable to Thee, oh God of mercy and of love. Let 
not trifling things have power to vex or irritate me, 
but give me that sense of my own unworthiness, 
that whatever be Thy almighty will, I may bow in 
submission to it. I am but a worm in Thy pre- 
sence, oh my God, and dare I murmur, whatever be 
Thy just decrees ? But in Thy great mercy, oh our 
Father, preserve me this day from sorrow and suf- 
fering ; grant that I may perform my earthly duties 
with a willing heart and joyous spirit. Oh preserve 
me from sin ; guard me from the temptations that 
encircle me, that when I pray before Thee at night, 
oh my God, my conscience may be at peace, and 
my whole soul glow in adoration unto Thee. Hear 
me, almighty and gracious God, hear me from Thy 
throne of justice and mercy, and if my prayer seem 
acceptable in Thy sight, oh my God, for the sake 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 227 

of that great and holy Name, by which Thou hast 
promised to show mercy unto thousands of Thy 
people Israel, oh pour Thy blessing on me, and 
grant my prayer. — Amen. 



PRAYER FOR A BLESSING ON DAILY PURSUITS. 

Almighty Father, may it please Thee to pour 
Thy blessing on the employments of this day, more 
particularly on those tasks Thou hast so mercifully 
permitted me to commence, both in deed and 
thought. 

Oh, give me Thy divine assistance in cultivating 
those talents Thou in Thine infinite goodness hast 
bestowed on me, that I may complete my self-ap- 
pointed task in a manner as acceptable to Thee as 
pleasing to my parents and improving to myself. 
Grant me strength, oh Lord, and talent to finish all 
I undertake, that, in all I do, I may remember to 
bless Thy hand and praise Thy holy Name, almighty 
Father, for giving me enjoyment within myself, that 
I need not look for pleasure farther than my parents' 
home. Oh, how can I praise Thee for Thine infi- 
nite goodness, almighty and gracious God ? How 



238 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

can I praise Thee for the blessings with which Thou 
hast gilded my lot? Oh, add yet more to Thy 
great goodness, almighty Father, and improve and 
increase those talents Thou hast already bestowed 
on me, that I may not dread the quick flight of 
youth and all its appropriate pleasures; for if Thou, 
All-wise, All-merciful, wilt hearken to my prayer, 
enjoyment will yet be my portion, and I will praise 
Thy name in humble and fervent gratitude to Thee. 
Oh, pour Thy blessing on every employment, mer- 
ciful Father, that I may have strength and ability 
to complete the tasks I have begun. Oh, hear me, 
my God, oh hearken to the simple and fervent peti- 
tion I offer up in humbleness and faith to Thee. 
Thou wilt not disregard my prayer, for my trust is 
in Thee, and Thou hast promised to answer all who 
call upon Thee; then hear me and answer me, 
almighty Father, blessed be Thy holy name. — 
Amen. 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 229 



PRAYER FOR GRACE. 

In my distress I called on tliS Lord, and He an- 
swered me with enlargement — He hath hearkened 
to the voice of my supplication, and answered to 
my secret cry : and now, oh Lord, yet hear Thy 
servant. Thy promises have never failed, and yet, 
oh Lord, my thanks are dead, my praises spiritless, 
and thus, alas ! how can they be acceptable to Thee, 
who demandest the whole heart and soul of Thy 
servants, their whole affections ? Thou, oh God, to 
whom we owe our every blessing. Thou knowest the 
weakness of Thy creatures, and demandest but love 
and devotion in return, and even this we hesitate, 
and are loth to give. Oh, Lord, have compassion 
on me, unworthy as I am ; take not the joy of Thy 
salvation from me. Oh, so shed Thy Heavenly grace 
upon my heart that I may constantly feel devotion 
dwelling there, that gratitude may ever be glowing 
within me ; and then will my thanks be no longer 
dead, my praises spiritless. In moments of enjoy- 
ment, oh, pour Thy spirit on my soul, that I may 
feel it is to Thee, Thee alone, I owe all these things; 
not to myself, or to my earthly companions ; we are 
but tools in Thy hand : " not unto us, oh Lord, not 
unto us, but unto Thy name, give glory." Oh, let 



230 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

me think on this, and be my spirit warm within me ; 
and in Thy mercy, oh Lord, teach my heart to feel, 
my lips to speak, Thy goodness and Thy mercy. 
Give me Thy bles^d grace, that my soul may not 
be thus deadened, but that it may feel it is to Thee 
I owe all these things, every happiness I enjoy, and 
adore Thy glorious name. Father, have compas- 
sion on Thy servant, whose excessive weakness is 
known alone to Thee, and add yet more to Thy 
abundant mercy by granting me that blessed grace 
which will enable me to praise Thy name for ever- 
more. '' Praise the Lord, praise, oh ye servants of 
the Lord. Praise the Name of the Lord ; oh praise 
ye the Lord, all ye nations ; praise Ilim, all ye peo- 
ple. For His merciful kindness is great towards 
us, and the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. 
Praise ye the Lord! Hallelujah ! Praise the Lord!" 



PRAYER FOR THE SABBATH EVE. 

I THANK Thee, oh merciful Father, for permitting 
me to behold the close of another week in health 
and peace. I thank Thee for allowing me to look 
upon the Sabbath as a day of holy and blessed rest, 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 231 

mercifully granted to Thy people Israel. We may 
not assemble to worship Thee in Thy Holy Temple, 
oh Lord, yet let the prayer of the son of David, 
when he dedicated his house to Thee, still be ac- 
ceptable to our God — " and hearken Thou to the 
supplication of • Thy servant and of Thy people 
Israel, when they turn toward this place, however 
distant they may be, and hear Thou in heaven, Thy 
dwelling-place, and when Thou hearest, forgive ; 
and forgive Thy people that have sinned against 
Thee, and all their transgressions wherein They 
have transgressed against Thee, for there is no man 
that sinneth not." 

Oh permit me to pray in these words, oh Lord, 
for though removed from Thy House, I acknowledge 
my transgression, and will praise and worship) Thee. 
I thank Thee for the great mercies Thou hast vouch- 
safed me during the past week, for enabling me to 
do my duty in that station where.it has pleased 
Thee to place me ; for the divine assistance Thou 
hast given me in Thy mercy, Lord, in the culti- 
vation of my talents, Thy gifts, oh ray God ; for 
guarding me from evil temptations and presump- 
tuous sins. And I thank Thee more particularly, 
oh my God, for the kind parents Thou hast be- 
stowed on me, to whom, under Thee, I owe all 
enjoyments of this life : do Thou bless them, oh 



232 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

Lord, bestow on them Thy holy spirit, and preserve 
them in health, long to guard their children. Have 
mercy on my brothers ; bless them, oh Lord ; forgive 
them the sins and faults they may have committed 
during the past week, either in deed or thought ; 
and in thine infinite mercy make them good and 
acceptable in Thy sight. Father of Mercy ! 

I have sinned during the past week, either in 
thought, word, or deed. I have failed in duty ; my 
thoughts have wandered continually, as I prayed to 
Thee. Thy spirit yet dwelleth not in me ; my mo- 
ments of devotion are too weak and tame ; the 
thoughts of this world too frequently occupy my 
mind. Oh, merciful Father, forgive these manifold 
sins. Thou readest my heart, and knowest the 
humble penitence with which I would confess my 
sins to Thee. What am I but a worm, an atom in 
Thy sight ? Less than the smallest particle of dust 
on which I tread is to me ; and yet I lean on the 
infinite, never-failing mercy of my God. I trust in 
Thee, oh my Father. Thou art my stay, my hope, 
my trust ; and I fear not man, for I feel that Thou 
art with me. Thou listenest to my cry, oh forgive 
my sins. I pray before Thee, oh Lord, bowed 
down beneath the sense of my own nothingness. 
Prostrate before Thee, I implore Thy mercy, not 
for my own sake, oh Lord, but for that great and 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 233 

awful Name, by which Thou hast promised to show 
mercy unto thousands of them that love Thee and 
keep Thy commandments. Unworthy as I am, 
withdraw not Thy great mercies from me ; still ex- 
tend Thy protecting arm over me, and guard me 
from my sins. Impress my every action, my every 
thought, with Thy Holy Spirit. Sanctify Thy 
servant in Thy sight, oh Lord. Cleanse me from 
my impurities and sins. Let- me feel that Thou 
art with me wherever I may go. Strengthen my 
soul, that should the future bring with it trials and 
sorrows now unknown, I may not sink beneath them, 
but perform my duty, painful as it may be, aided 
and encouraged by Thee. Whatever may befall 
me, let not the spirit of religion depart from my 
soul. Great God of Israel, Father of life, and love, 
and mercy, make me but worthy in Thy sight, and 
under all circumstances, in Thine infinite mercy, 
teach, oh teach me Thy will be done. — Amen. 



20 



234 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 



PRAYER FOR THE SABBATH MORN. 

Father Almighty ! may it please Thee in Thine 
infinite mercy, to pour Thy blessing on Thy Sabbath 
day, and grant us that grace which will enable us 
to employ it in a manner acceptable to thee. Re- 
moved far from our own land, scattered as fugitives 
among the nations, as a just punishment for our 
sins against Thee ; oh my God, Thou knowest the 
many things which combine to render the task so 
difficult, to remember the Sabbath day and keep it 
holy ; the many interruptions which disturb us, and 
prevent the sacred day from retaining that holiness 
which alone can render it acceptable to Thee. Oh 
remember these things, merciful Father. Remember 
Thou hast visited us in Thy wrath, and taken Thy 
Holy Spirit from us, and have compassion, for with- 
out the fulness of Thy grace within us, how can we 
address Thee with constancy and fervour ? Worldly 
thoughts, earthly objects, mingle with our prayers, 
and turn them away from Thee. Our weak and 
corrupted natures cannot fix attention on things 
I'elating to Thee alone, without the help of those 



SACRED COMMUNINGS. 235 

outward forms, of which, in our exiled and destitute 
state, we are now deprived. 

Oh, my God, permit then Thy righteousness to 
he at work within us. Let Thy grace fix our hearts 
and souls on Thee this day, which by miracle and 
precept Thou hast sanctified unto Thyself. Let 
Thy blessing be amongst us this day, oh my God, 
more particularly on the members of this family ; 
and so sanctify us that Thy mercy may form Thy 
temple in the midst of us, where Thy spirit will 
dwell for evermore. 

Oh teach us to pray to Thee, to bless Thee for 
the innumerable blessings granted, us this week. 
Enlighten our eyes that we may look well within 
ourselves, to know and to confess our sins ; and 
give us Thy divine help to depart from them, and 
become more worthy in Thy sight, in the week that 
is now dawning. Let Thy spirit rest upon Thy 
Word, oh Lord, that we may understand it better ; 
and each Sabbath day improve us in the knowledge 
of Thee, and of Thy Law. Grant us that holy 
temper which will turn our thoughts to Thee, even 
if worldly interruptions occur to distract our atten- 
tion from those studies most acceptable to Thee. 

Oh sanctify us and bless us, amiighty Father ; 
we would devote this day to Thee. Oh guard 



236 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

US from all temptation to turn aside from seeking 
Thee ; and, in Thine infinite mercy, teach us those 
things most acceptable to Thee. Blessed be Thy 
Name, merciful and beneficent Father, now and 
evermore. — Amen and Amen. 



HISTORY 



JEWS IN ENGLAND, 



20* 



(237) 



HISTORY OF THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. 



The Hebrew nation, as is well known, has been 
for ages scattered over the face of the earth, and 
now exists in different portions in every civilized 
country; retaining, however, in all situations, the 
religion, manners, and recollections of its ancestry 
— almost everywhere less or more oppressed, yet 
everywhere possessing the same unconquerable buoy- 
ancy of spirit and the same indomitable industry. 
It would be a very long and dismal story to tell of 
the settlement and sufferings of the Jews in the va- 
rious countries of Europe, and we propose, therefore, 
to confine ourselves to a brief narration principally 
concerning their residence and treatment in Great 
Britain. 

Whence or by what route the exiles of Judea 

found their way to this island, cannot now be satis- 

(239) 



340 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

factorily traced ; but, scattered as they were over 
the extensive domains of their Roman conquerors, 
it is not unlikely that they originally crossed the 
Channel whilst England also was under imperial 
sway, their numbers increasing as centuries rolled 
on, and as the gradual desertion of the island by the 
Romans gave them a more peaceful and secure re- 
treat than was enjoyed by their brethren scattered 
nearer the seat of empire. 

During the struggles between the Britons and 
Saxons, and afterwards between Saxons and Saxons, 
till the Heptarchy was finally established, the He- 
brew strangers remained unnoticed ; but when Christ- 
ianity was introduced, and monks and priests ob- 
tained supreme ecclesiastical authority, decrees were 
issued as early as 740 by Egbert, archbishop of 
York, and again in 833 by the monks of Croyland, 
prohibiting Christians from appearing at Jewish 
feasts. From these decrees we infer that the Jews 
must have become both numerous and influential, and 
their feasts and ceremonies attractive to the people, 
who in the very early stages of Catholicism might 
have found a puzzling similarity in the outward cere- 
monies of the two religions — gorgeousness and splen- 
dour being at that time characteristic of the rites 
of both. The distinctions of actual creed were too 
subtle and too carefully made the study of church- 



THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. 241 

men alone to be understood or cared for by tlie mul- 
titude, and the priests must have feared some dan- 
ger to their new and simple-minded converts from a 
too close intimacy with the Hebrews, or these pro- 
hibitions need not have been made. 

No further allusion being made to the Jews dur- 
ing the Saxon monarchy, the decrees of .the priests 
were probably obeyed, and no excuse given for per- 
secution. When Canute of Denmark conquered 
England, however, the Jews shared the servitude of 
their Saxon brethren ; and in 1020, without any 
assigned cause but the will of the sovereign, were 
banished from the kingdom. They crossed the 
Channel, and took refuge in the dominions of Wil- 
liam Duke of Normandy, where they were so kindly 
received that, on his conquest of England and as- 
sumption of her crown, they returned, increased in 
numbers, to their old homes, and purchased from 
William the right of settlement in the island. 

The sons of the Conqueror pursued their father's 
kindly policy towards them. Under William Rufus 
they established themselves in London and Oxford, 
erecting in the latter town three halls or colleo;es — 
Lombard Hall, Moses Hall, and Jacob Hall — 
where they instructed young men of either persua- 
sion in the Hebrew language and the sciences. 
Until this reign the only burial-ground allowed them 



242 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

in all England was St. Giles, Cripplegatc, where 
Jewen Street now stands ; but under Rufus they 
obtained a place of interment also at Oxford, now 
the site of part of Magdalen College. Indeed 
Rufus, from what is narrated to us by the chroni- 
clers, would appear to have respected the feelings 
of the Jews more than those of the Christian por- 
tion of his subjects. " He appointed," says Milman, 
" a public debate in London between the two parties, 
and swore, by 'the face of St. Luke,' that, if the 
rabbins defeated the bishops, he would turn Jew 
himself. He received at Rouen the complaint of 
certain Jews, that their children had been seduced 
to the profession of Christianity. Their petition 
was supported by a liberal offer of money. One 
Stephen offered sixty marks for his son's restoration 
to Judaism, but the son had the courage to resist 
the imperious monarch. Rufus gave still deeper 
offence by farming to the Jews the vacant bishop- 
rics." 

During this breathing-time from persecution their 
opulence naturally increased, and with it their un- 
popularity. The civil wars between Matilda and 
Stephen had drained the royal coffers ; money be- 
came more and more imperatively needed ; and, fol- 
lowing the example of the continental nations, 
charges the most false, but from their very horror 



THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. 243 

and improbability eagerly credited by the ignorant 
populace, were promulgated against the Jews, and 
immense sums extorted from them to purchase remis- 
sion from suffering and exile. Those who refused 
acceptance of the royal terms were mercilessly 
banished, and their estates and other possessions 
confiscated to the crown. 

During the reigns of Stephen and Henry 11. 
these persecutions continued with little intermission, 
yet still they remained industrious and uncomplain- 
ing, eager on every occasion to testify their loyalty 
and allegiance. 

In the last year of Henry II. 's reign (1188), a 
parliament was convened at Northampton, to raise 
supplies for an expedition to the Holy Land. The 
whole Christian population were assessed at .£70,000, 
while the Jews alone, in numbers but a very small 
fraction of the king's native subjects, were burdened 
with a tax of £60,000; .£3330 having been during 
this one reign already tortured from them. The 
abandonment of the project, followed as it was by 
the king's death, prevented this illegal extortion; 
and it was perhaps from joy at this unexpected relief 
that the Hebrews thronged in crowds to Westmin- 
ster to witness the coronation of Richard, sumptu- 
ously attired, and bearing rich offerings, to testify 
their eager desire to conciliate the king. 



244 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

This, however, was not permitted. The nobles 
and populace — whose strongest link of union in 
those days was jealous hatred of a people whose only 
crime was wealth — resolved on their exclusion. The 
presence of such ill-omened sorcerers at the coro- 
nation, it was declared, would blight every hope of 
prosperity for the reign, and commands were pe- 
remptorily issued that no Jew should be admitted to 
witness the ceremony. Some few individuals dared 
the danger of discovery, and made their way within 
the church. Their boldness was fatal; and not to 
themselves alone. Insulted and maltreated almost 
to death, they were dragged from the church, and 
the signal given for universal outrage. The popu- 
lace spread through every Jewish quarter, destroy- 
ing and pillaging without pause, setting even the 
royal commands at defiance ; for avarice and hatred 
had obtained sole possession of their hearts. For a 
day and a night these awful scenes continued in 
London, and not a Jewish dwelling in the city 
escaped. England was at that time thronged with 
friars preaching the Crusade ; and, as had previously 
been the case on the continent, they urged the sacri- 
fice of the unbelieving Jews as a fit commencement 
for their holy expedition. The example of London 
was held forth as an exhibition of praiseworthy en- 
thusiasm ; and at Edraondsbury, Norwich, and Stam- 



THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. 245 

ford, the same scenes of blood and outrage were 
enacted. At Lincoln the miserable Hebrews ob- 
tained protection from the governor. At York, 
after a vain attempt to check the popular fury, a 
great number retreated to the castle with their most 
valuable effects. Those not fortunate or expeditious 
enough to reach the temporary shelter were all put 
to the sword, neither age nor sex spared, their 
riches appropriated, and their dwellings burnt to 
the ground. 

For a short time the castle appeared to promise 
a secure retreat, but gradually the suspicion spread 
that the governor was secretly negotiating for their 
surrender, the price of his treachery being a large 
portion of their wealth. "Whether this suspicion 
were correct or not was never ascertained, but it 
worked so strongly on the minds of the Jews, that 
they seized the first occasion of the governor's 
absence from the castle, on a visit to the town, to 
close the gates against him. They then themselves 
manned the ramparts, and awaited a siege. It hap- 
pened that the sheriff of the county (without whose 
permission no measures to recover the castle coufd 
be taken) was passing through York with an armed 
force ; the incensed governor instantly applied to 
him, and demanded the aid of his men. Recollect- 
ing the king's attempt to keep peace between his 
21 



246 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

Christian and Jewish subjects in London, the sheiifF 
at first hesitated ; but urged on by the indignant 
representations of the governor, he at length per- 
mitted the assault. 

The frantic fury with which the shouting rabble 
rushed to the attack, the horrid nature of the scenes 
which he knew must inevitably ensue, caused him, 
even at that moment, to revoke the order ; but it 
was too late. License once given, the passions of 
the surging multitude could not be assuaged. The 
clergy fanned them into yet hotter flame, by en- 
couraging their mad fury as holy zeal, promising 
salvation to all who shed the blood of a Jew ; and 
themselves, in strange contradiction to the profes- 
sions signified by the garbs they wore, joining in 
the afii'ay, and often heading the attack. The un- 
shrinking courage, the noble self-denial and heroic 
endurance of the hapless Hebrews, could little avail 
them against the wild excitement and immense mul- 
titude of their assailants ; yet still they resisted with 
vigour. Accused a« they were of never handling 
the weapons or experiencing the emotions of the 
warrior, it was now shown that circumstances and 
not character were at fault. The spirit of true 
heroism peculiar to their race in the olden time 
might indeed appear crushed and lost beneath the 
heavy fetters of oppression, but it burned still, ready 



THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. 247 

to burst into life and energy wlicnever occasion de- 
manded its display. 

Notwithstanding the bold defence of the besieged, 
resistance was too soon seen to be hopeless, and in 
stern unbending resolution they assembled in the 
council-room. Their rabbi (a Hebrew word signify- 
ing chief or elder), a man of great learning and emi- 
nent virtue, rose up, and with mournful dignity thus 
addressed them : — " Men of Israel, the God of our 
ancestors is omniscient, and there is no one who can 
say, ' What dost thou ?' This day he commands us 
to die for his law — that law which we have cherished 
from the first hour it was given, which we have pre- 
served pure throughout our captivity in all nations, 
and for which, for the many consolations it has 
given us, and the belief in eternal life which it com- 
municates, can we do less than die ? Posterity shall 
behold its solemn truths sealed with our blood ; and 
our death, while it confirms our sincerity, shall im- 
part strength to the wanderers of Israel. Death is 
before our eyes ; we have only to choose an easy 
and an honourable one. If we fall into the hands 
of our enemies, which fate you know we cannot 
elude, our death will be ignominious and cruel ; for 
these Christians, who picture the Spirit of God in 
a dove, and confide in the meek Jesus, are athirst 
for our blood, and prowl like wolves around us. Let 



248 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

US escape their tortures, and surrender, as our an- 
cestors have done before us, our lives with our own 
hands to our Creator. God seems to call for us; 
let us not be unworthy of that call." 

It Avas a fearful counsel, and the venerable elder 
himself wept as he ceased to speak ; but by far the 
greater number declared that he had spoken well, 
and they would abide by his words. The few that 
hesitated were desired by their chief, if they ap- 
proved not of his counsel, to depart in peace ; and 
some obeyed. It was night ere the council closed, 
and during the hours of darkness not a sound be- 
trayed the awful proceedings within the castle to 
the besiegers. At dawn the multitudes furiously 
renewed the attack, falling back appalled for the 
minute by the sight of flames bursting from all parts 
of the citadel. A few miserable objects rushing to 
and fro on the battlements also became visible, with 
wild cries entreating mercy for themselves, imploring 
baptism rather than death, and relating with groans 
and lamentations the fate of their' companions. The 
men had all slain their wives and children, and then 
fallen by each others' hands, the most distinguishel 
receiving the sad honour of death from the sword 
of their old chief, who was the last to die. Their 
precious eflfects were burnt or buried, according as 
they wore combustible or not; so that, when tbo 



THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. 249 

gates were flung open and the rabble rushed in, 
eager to appropriate the wealth which they believed 
awaited them, they found nothing but heaps of ashes. 
Maddened with disappointment, all pledges of safety 
to the survivors, if the gates were opened, were for- 
gotten, and every human being that remained was 
tortured and slain. Five hundred had already fallen 
by their own hands, and these voluntary martyrs 
were mostly men forced by persecution into such 
mean and servile occupations as to appear incapable 
of a lofty thought or heroic deed. 

No punishment followed the atrocious proceedings 
at York. The laws of England never interfered in 
behalf of the king's Jewish subjects, though they 
would have been somewhat rigidly obeyed had the 
suiferers been the offenders. On King Richard's 
return from captivity, the Hebrews were, under 
certain statutes, acknowledged as the exclusive pro- 
perty of the crown. John commenced his reign 
with a semblance of extreme lenity towards them. 
The privileges formerly granted to them by Henry 
I. were confirmed. They might settle in any part 
of England, instead of being confined to certain 
quarters of certain towns ; hold lands, and receive 
mortgages. Their evidence might be taken in 
courts of justice. All English subjects were com- 
manded to protect their persons and possessions as 
21 * 



250 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

they would the especial property of the king. Other 
laws equally lenient were issued ; and, misled by 
such favourable appearances, many of the conti- 
nental Hebrews flocked to England. This increase 
of Jewish population of course materially increased 
Jewish wealth ; the hatred of the people was anew 
excited, and several indignities were perpetrated 
against the Jews. The king wrote a strong rebuke 
to the perpetrators ; and then, at the very time that 
the Jews were rejoicing at this undeniable proof of 
his sincerity and their own security, completely 
changed his policy, and from the extreme of lenity 
proceeded to the extreme of rigour. He had, in 
fact, only favoured them to multiply their wealth, 
and then revelled in its seizure ; glad that there 
were now some possessions he could appropriate 
without any interference from the pope. The un- 
happy Israelites were imprisoned, tortured, mur- 
dered, and their treasures all confiscated to the 
crown. A Jew of Bristol having refused to betray 
his hoards, was condemned to have a tooth pulled 
out every day until he should yield. The man suf- 
fered seven of his 'teeth to be extracted before he 
complied: the king gained 10,000 marks by his 
cruel device. In the war between John and his 
barons they were persecuted by both parties — by 
the king for their wealth ; by the barons, because 



THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. 251 

they were vassals of the king. Even the stern and 
noble assertors of liberty, the heroes of the Magna 
Charta, seeking justice and freedom for all classes 
of Englishmen, had no pity for the wretched Jews ; 
seizing their possessions, and demolishing their 
homes, to repair the walls of London, which had 
been greatly injured in the civil war. 

The guardians of England during the reign of 
Henry III. sought in some degree to meliorate the 
condition of the Jews. Twenty-four burgesses of 
every town where they resided, were appointed to 
protect their persons and property; but the protec- 
tion even of royalty could avail little when every 
class of men conspired to detest and oppress them. 
The merchants were jealous of the privileges per- 
mitting the Jews to buy and sell. The people 
hated them from the idle tales of horrible crimes 
attributed to them, which had no foundation what- 
ever in truth, but which ignorance and prejudice 
not only believed, but so magnified and multiplied 
as to cause them to be inseparably associated with 
the word Jew. The clergy — men who, both pro- 
fessors and preachers of a religion of peace, should 
have been the first to protect the injured, and calm 
the turbulent passions of the populace — were the 
constant incitors to persecution and cruelty, be- 
lieving, by a most extraordinary hallucination, that 



252 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

to maltreat tlie Jew was the surest evidence of 
Christian zeal. 

The guardians of the young king had, however, 
so guided him, that, for a brief interval after attain- 
ing his majority, the royal protection shielded the 
Jews in some measure from popular oppression. But 
this was only until the king's coffers became impo- 
verished : when these were empty, the only means of 
refilling them was to follow the example of his pre- 
decessors, and, by fair means or foul, extort money 
from* the Jews. In this reign, alone, the enormous 
sum of 170,000 marks was, under various pretences 
and various cruelties, wrung from them ; and when 
all other means of extortion seemed exhausted, an 
extraordinary spectacle was displayed in the con- 
vention of a Jewish parliament. The sheriffs of 
the different towns had orders to return six of the 
wealthiest and most influential Jews from the larger 
cities, and two from the smaller. In those times 
almost the only function of a parliament was to 
vote supplies; this Jewish parliament, therefore, 
in being informed by the sovereign that he must 
have 20,000 marks from the Jews of England, served 
for the Jewish part of the population pretty nearly 
the same purpose as the ordinary parliament served 
for the rest of the community. The assembled 
members were probably left to decide the amount 



THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. 253 

of assessment which the various ranks of Jews 
should pay, so as to make up the total sum required ; 
and as this right of proportioning the assessment 
was generally the only right exercised by ancient 
parliaments, properly so called, the particular hard- 
ship of the Jews, as compared with their fellow-sub- 
jects, consisted not in having no liberty of refusal 
— for that is a liberty which only modern parlia- 
ments have acquired — but in the enormous sum 
demanded from them, and in the rigours which 
they knew would be employed to enforce its speedy 
collection. Assembled, and made aware of the 
demand which was made upon them, the unfortunate 
Jewish representatives were dismissed to collect the 
money from their own resources as speedily as pos- 
sible ; and, because it was not forthcoming as quickly 
as was requisite for the royal necessities, all their 
possessions were seized, and their families impri- 
soned. 

Believing, at length, that their wealth must be 
exhausted by such demands, or weary of the trou- 
ble of extortion, Henry consummated his acts of 
oppression by actually selling his Jewish subjects, 
their persons and effects, to his brother Richard, 
Earl of Cornwall, for 5000 marks. The records of 
this disgraceful bargain are still preserved ; and 
that the king had power to conclude it, marks the 



254 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

oppressed and fearful position of this hapless peo- 
ple more emphatically than any lengthened narra- 
tive. Yet the barbarity of the sovereign met with 
universal approbation ; the wretchedness of the vic- 
tims with neither sympathy nor commiseration. 

On the election of Richard of Cornwall as king 
of the Romans, the Jews became again the property 
of the crown, and were again sold by Henry. This 
time their purchaser was the heir to the throne, 
Prince Edward, by whom they were sold, to still 
better advantage, to the merchants of Dauphin^ ; 
and this traffic was actually the sale and purchase 
of human beings, in all respects like ourselves, gifted 
with immortal souls, "intelligent minds, and the ten- 
derest affections. Husbands, fathers, sons, wives, 
mothers, innocent childhood, and helpless age. The 
sufferers were inoffensive and unobtrusive, seeking 
no vengeance, patient, and even cringing under all 
their injuries. Of all the crimes imputed to them, 
and some of these were of the most horrible nature, 
not one appears ever to have been really proved 
against them, except, perhaps, that of clipping the 
coin of the realm ; and even on this point the evi- 
dence is not clear. And yet, had all the accusations 
against them been true, one could hardly have won- 
dered, considering their treatment. 

After the battle of Lewes, reports became cur- 



THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. 255 

rent that the Hebrews at Northampton, Lincoln, 
and London had sided "with the king against the 
barons. This of course roused the latter in their 
turn to plunder and destroy ; while Henry annulled 
his bargain with his son, and for a while treated 
them with greater lenity. But again one of the 
usual excuses for persecution — insult offered by the 
Jews to some symbol reverenced by the Catholics — 
found voice, and not only were extortions renewed, 
but a solemn statute was passed, disqualifying the 
Jews from possessing any lands or even dwellings. 
They might not erect any new habitations, only 
repair their present homes, or rebuild on the same 
foundations. 

All lands and manors already in their hands were 
violently wrested from them ; and those held in 
mortgages returned to their owners Avithout any in- 
terest on the bonds. All arrears of charges were 
demanded, and imprisonment threatened if payment 
were postponed. An extortion apparently more 
oppressive than all the rest, as we find the distress 
it occasioned amongst the Jews actually moved the 
pity of their rivals, the Caorsini bankers, and of the 
friars, their deadliest foes. 

The death of Henry was so far a reprieve that 
the above-named extortion was suspended ; but the 
accession of Edward I. only aggravated their social 



256 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

bondage. Laws as severe, if not more severe in 
some respects than those of previous sovereigns, 
were issued against them, followed by an act of par- 
liament prohibiting all usury, and desiring the Jews 
to confine themselves to the pursuits of traffic, manu- 
factures, and agriculture ; for which last, though 
they could not hold, they might hire farms for fifteen 
years. But how could men, debarred so long from 
similar occupations, so debased by oppression, with 
minds so disabled as to render it diflGcult for them 
to commence any new pursuit, obey so violent 
a decree ? Had they received the fit education for 
traffic, manufactures, and agriculture before the laws 
commanding such employments were passed, there 
would have been many glad and eager to obey them ; 
but, as it was, obedience was impossible. That usu- 
rers and Jews in the dark ages were synonymous, 
and that the Jews in their capacity of money-lenders 
did exhibit an extraordinary spirit of rapacity and 
extortion, cannot be denied. But although this 
spirit of money-making, even by methods esteemed 
dishonourable, characterizing, as it did, the Jews of 
the Roman empire, as well as those of Europe in 
the middle ages, must be referred partly to an inhe- 
rent national bent ; there can be no doubt that much 
of the meanness and criminality displayed by the 
Jews of the middle ages, in their quest of wealth. 



THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. 257 

is attributable to the binding oppression wbidi abso- 
lutely fettered them to that one pursuit. Even if 
there were times when a Shylock pressed for his 
pound of flesh, when it would have been nobler to 
show mercv, was it unnatural ? Can we ever expect 
oppression to create kindness — social cruelty to bring 
forth social love ? 

After eighteen years of persecution, little varied 
in its nature and its causes from the persecutions 
of previous reigns, the seal was set on Jewish misery 
by an edict of total expulsion, issued in 1290. All 
their property was seized except a very scanty sup- 
ply, supposed sufficient to transport them to other 
lands. No reason was given for this barbarous pro- 
ceeding. The charge previously brought against 
them of clipping and adulterating the coin of the 
realm, for which 280 had been executed in London 
alone, was never fully proved ; nor, as might natu- 
rally have been expected, had the chai-ge been really 
true, was it made the cause of their expulsion. A 
people's unfounded hate, and a monarch's cruel plea- 
sure, exposed 16,511 human beings to all the mise- 
ries of exile. There were very few countries which 
were not equally inhospitable ; for edicts of expul- 
sion had gone forth from many of the continental 
kingdoms. Even if they could find other homes, 
the confiscation of all their property before they 
22 



258 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

left England exposed them to multiplied sufferings, 
"which no individual efforts could assuage ; and the 
loss of life ever attendant on these wholesale expul- 
sions is fearful. The greater number probably never 
lived to reach another shore ; and to what retreats 
those who were more fortunate betook themselves, 
history does not say. From this date (1290), there- 
fore, all trace of the English Jews, properly so 
called, is lost. 

Their great synagogue, situated in Old Jewry, 
was seized by an order of friars, called Fratres de 
Sacra or De Penitentia, who had not long been esta- 
blished in England. In 1305, Robert Fitzwalter, 
the great banner-bearer of the city, and wl.ose house 
it adjoined, requested, we are told by the old chro- 
niclers, that it might be assigned to him ; a request 
no doubt complied with in return for a good round 
sum of money. During the fifteenth century it be- 
longed to two or three successive mayors, and was 
ultimately degraded into a tavern, known by the 
sign of the Windmill. The locality of this early 
Jewish house of worship, howevei', still retains its 
name and associations as Old Jewry. 

Their valuable libraries at Stamford and Oxford 
were appropriated by the neighbouring monasteries. 
From that at Oxford, fifty years previous to their 
expulsion, Roger Bacon is said to have derived much 



THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. 259 

of that chemical and astronomical information which 
enabled him to startle the" age in which he lived by 
the boldness and novelty of his views. The Baby- 
Ionian Talmud, a series of gigantic tomes, of which, 
and of lesser works compiled from them, the Jewish 
libraries were composed, contained elaborate trea- 
tises on the various sciences which occupied the 
attention of the learned in the middle ages ; includ- 
ing of course magic and astrology ; and as it was 
to the Franciscan convent at Oxford, by which the 
Hebrew library had been appropriated, that Roger 
Bacon retreated on his return to England from 
Paris, it is by no means improbable that he may 
have been indebted to -the Hebrew books thus placed 
within his reach. 

From the year 1290 to 1655 the shores of Great 
Britain were closed against the Jews. No attempt 
ever appears to have been made on their part to re- 
voke the order of expulsion. Oppression, perhaps, 
had left too blackened traces on their memories for 
England to be regarded with that strong feeling of 
local attachment which bound them, even after ex- 
pulsion, so closely to Portugal and Spain. In France 
they were once and again recalled after being ex- 
pelled. In the German and Italian states they were 
constantly persecuted and murdered by thousands, 
but never cast forth from the soil. In Spain and 



260 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

Portugal they had always held the highest offices, 
not only in the schools,'^i3ut in the state and the 
camp ; nay, royalty itself, in more than one instance, 
was closely connected with Jewish blood. Oppres- 
sive exactments and degrading distinctions were fre- 
quently made, but never interfered with the positions 
of trust and dignity which the larger portion of the 
nation enjoyed ; so that when the edict of their uni- 
versal expulsion from the peninsula came in 1492, 
there was no galling remembrance of debasing 
misery to conquer the love of fatherland, so fondly 
fostered in every human heart. Notwithstanding 
the danger from the constant dread of death, if dis- 
covered, secret Jews peopled the most Catholic king- 
doms of Portugal and Spain. The extraordinary 
skill and ingenuity with which these Spanish and 
Portuguese Jews preserved their secret, and their 
numerous expedients for the strictest adherence to 
their ancient religion, under the semblance of most 
orthodox Catholicism, constitute a romance in his- 
tory. If ever exposed to the suspicion of the Inqui- 
sition, however, the love of land was sacrificed to 
personal security ; the suspected individuals taking 
refuge either in Holland, or in some of the newly- 
discovered East and West India Islands, and there 
making public profession of their ancient faith. 
Joseph Ben Israel was one of these fugitives. He 



THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. 261 

■was a Portuguese Jew, and a resident of Lisbon. 
Suspicion of secretly following Judaism having 
fallen upon him, he was twice incarcerated by the 
Inquisition, and twice released, from the impo'ssi- 
bility of proving the charge against him. When 
confined within those dangerous precincts a third 
time, he would not wait another examination, but 
succeeded in scaling the walls, of his prison, and 
secretly flying from Portugal, bearing with him his 
young son Menasseh. At Amsterdam, where Ben 
Israel settled, both father and son received the pe- 
culiar covenant of their faith, and publicly avowed 
and confessed it. In the Jewish college of that city 
Menasseh Ben Israel received his education ; and so 
remarkable was his progress in the difficult studies 
of the Hebrew Acolyte, that when only seventeen 
he succeeded his master, Isaac Uzielij as preacher 
in the synagogue and expounder of the Talmud, and 
commenced the then difiicult task of arranging and 
amplifying the scanty rules of the Hebrew language 
in the form of a grammar — a work obtaining him 
much fame, not only from the extreme youth of the 
writer, but also for the assistance it rendered to 
the learned men of all countries in the attaining of 
a language so little known, yet so much valued. 
The grammar was speedily followed by numerous 
other works, written both in Spanish and Latin. 

90 * 



262 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

Their subject is mostly theology; but Ben Israel's 
OAvn learning was not confined to sacred subjects 
alone. Well versed in Hebrew, Greek, Arabic, 
Latin, Spanish, and Portuguese, he not only wrote 
these languages with ease and fluency, but was well 
acquainted with the literature of each, and had thus, 
by extensive culture and thought on a great variety 
of subjects, acquired larger views and sentiments 
than were possessed by the generality of his race. 

The confiscation of all his paternal property at 
Lisbon, compelled him to resort to commerce — an 
interruption to his literary pursuits which he would 
have gladly eluded; but, already a husband and 
a father, he met the necessity cheerfully, and soon 
became as influential and as highly respected in 
commercial affairs as in literature ; in which, not- 
withstanding the many and pressing calls of busi- 
ness, he never allowed his labours to relax. After 
the marriage of his daughter, he visited, partly for 
pleasure and partly on business, the Brazils, whei-e 
his brother-in-law and partner resided. It was a 
very unusual thing in those days for any Hebrew 
to travel : the minute and numerous ordinances of 
the Talmud interfering too closely with daily life, 
.ind rendering it difiicult to obey them anywhere 
save in cities, where there wore communities of 
Jews. 



THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. 263 

But Menasseh Ben Israel, -wliile lie gloried in 
being inwardly and outwardly a follower of the 
Hebrew faith, had a mind capable of distinguishing 
between the form and the spirit. The death of his 
eldest son, a youth of great promise, occurred soon 
after his return from Brazil, and caused him such 
intense grief, as, according to his own acknowledg- 
ment, to render him incapable of the least mental 
exertion. His only comfort and resource was the 
perusal of that Holy Book which had been the 
origin and end of all his studies. It did not fail 
him in his grief; and after some severe struggles, 
energy returned. 

His literary fame had procured him the intimacy 
and friendship of the most eminent and learned men 
throughout Europe. Amongst these was John Thur- 
loe, who, in the year 1651, had gone to the Hague 
as secretary to St. John and Strickland, ambassa- 
dors from England to the states of the United Pro- 
vinces. During his stay in Holland he became 
acquainted? with Ben Israel, and with his earnest 
but then apparently fruitless wishes for the read- 
mission of his nation into England. In 1653, 
Thurloe became secretary of state to Cromwell ; 
and, discovering the enlarged and liberal ideas 
which the Protector individually entertained, he 
ventured, on his own responsibility, to invite Me- 



264 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

nasseh Ben Israel to the court of England, and 
introduced him to Cromwell in 1655. The inde- 
pendence, the amiable qualities, and the great learn- 
ing of the Jewish stranger, obtained Cromwell's 
undisguised friendship and regard. Three hundred 
and sixty-five years had elapsed since a Jew had 
stood on British ground ; and during that interval 
many changes and improvements, national and 
social, had taken place. The Reformation had 
freed England from the galling fetters of ignorance 
and superstition which must ever attend the general 
suppression of the Word of Truth. Increase of tole- 
ration towards the Jews was already visible in those 
parts of the continent which were under Protestant 
jurisdiction ; and it was therefore extremely natural 
in Menasseh Ben Israel to regard England as one 
of those favourite countries of Providence, where 
his brethren might enjoy security and rest. 

Whether or not a formal act of readmission was 
passed during the Protectorship, is to this day a 
question. On the 4th of December, 16^5, a coun- 
cil was held at Whitehall, composed of the Lord 
Chief Justice Glynn, Lord Chief Baron Steele, the 
lord mayor and sheriffs of London, and sundry 
merchants and divines, to consider the proposals of 
Menasseh Ben Israel, which may be condensed into 
the followino;: — 1. That the Hebrew nation should 



THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. 265 

be received and admitted into the commonwealth 
under the express protection of his highness, who 
was entreated to command all generals and heads 
of armies, under oath, to defend them as his other 
English subjects on all occasions. 2. That public 
synagogues, and the proper observance of their reli- 
gion, should be allowed the Jews, not only in Eng- 
land, but in all countries under English jurisdiction. 
3. That a cemetery or graveyard out of the town 
should be allowed them, without hindrance from 
any. 4. That they should be permitted to mer- 
chandise as others. 5. That a person of quality 
should be appointed to receive the passports of all 
foreign Jews who might land in England, and oblige 
them by oath to maintain fealty to the common- 
wealth. 6. That license should be granted to the 
heads of the synagogue, with the assistance of offi- 
cers from their own nation, to judge and determine 
all differences according to the Mosaic law, with 
liberty to appeal thence to the civil judges of the 
land. 7. That in case there should be any laws 
against the nation still existing, they should, in the 
first place, and before all things, be revoked, that 
by such means the Jews might remain in greater 
security under the safeguard and protection of his 
serene highness. 

The council met again on the 7th, 12th, and 14th 



266 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

of December, on the last of which days, according 
to some authorities, the Jews were formally admitted ; 
but, according to others, the council reassembled on 
the 18th, and dissolved without either adjournment 
or decision, the judges only declaring that there was 
no law prohibiting the return of the Jews. Burton, 
in his History of Oliver Cromw^ell, relates that the 
divines were divided in opinion ; but on some assert- 
ing that the Scriptures promised their conversion, 
the Protector replied, " that if there Avere such pro- 
mise, means must be taken to accomplish it, which 
is the preaching of the gospel ; and that cannot be 
had, unless they were admitted where the gospel 
was publicly preached." 

Thomas Violet, a goldsmith, drew up a petition 
in 1660 to Charles II. and his parliament, entreating 
that the Jews might be expelled from England, and 
their property confiscated ; and in this petition he 
asserts that, in consequence of the decided disappro- 
val of the clergy in the celebrated council of 1655, 
the proposal for their readmission had been totally 
laid aside. Bishop Burnet, in his " History of his 
own Times," refutes this assertion, and declares that, 
after attentively hearing the debates, Cromwell and 
his council freely granted Ben Israel's requests; and 
this appears really to have been the case, for the 
very next year, 1656, a synagogue for the Spanish 



THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. 267 

and Portuguese Jews was erected in King's Street, 
Duke's Place, and a burial-ground at Mile End, now 
the site of the hospital for the same congregation, 
taken on a lease for nine hundred and ninety-nine 
years. 

Leaving the question, then, as to whether or not 
an act of readmission really passed, it is evident 
that the deed of toleration, granted from the Pro- 
tector individually, did as much for the real interests 
of the Jews as any formal parliamentary enactment. 
From that time the Jewish nation have found a se- 
cure and peaceful home, not in England alone, but 
in all the British possessions. We shall perceive, 
as we proceed, that prejudice was still often and vio- 
lently at work against them ; but though it embit- 
tered their social position, it did not interfere with 
their personal security, or prevent the public observ- 
ance of their faith. 

The pen of Menasseh Ben Israel had not been 
idle during this period of solicitation and suspense. 
Under the title of " Vindicie Judajorum" (" Defence 
of the Jews"), he published a work in which he ably 
and fully refuted the infamous charges which in 
darker ages had been levelled against his brethren. 
He had received, too, his degree as physician ; 
and thus united the industry and information requi- 
site for three professions — literature, commerce, and 



268 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

medicine. " He was a man," we are told, " without 
passion, without levity, and without opulence." Per- 
severing and independent, full of kindly affection, 
and susceptible of strong emotion, with all the lofti- 
ness of the Spanish character, tempered, however, 
with qualities which gained for him the regard of 
the best and most learned men of his age. He did 
not continue in England — though it has been said 
he was solicited to do so by Cromwell — but rejoined 
his brother at Middleburg in Zealand, where ho died 
in the year 1657. 

The reign of Charles II. beheld the Jews fre- 
quently attacked and seriously annoyed by popular 
prejudice ; but their actual position as British sub- 
jects remained undisturbed. Thomas Violet's peti- 
tion we have already noticed ; but its vindictive 
spirit did harm only to its originator. Four years 
afterwards, the security of their persons and pro- 
perty being threatened, they appealed to the king, 
who declared in council, that as long as they de- 
meaned themselves peaceably, and with submission 
to the laws, they should continue to receive the same 
favours as formerly. At Surinam, the following 
year, the British government, by proclamation, con- 
firmed all their privileges, guarantied the full enjoy- 
ment and free exercise of their religion, rites, and 
ceremonies ; adding, that any summons issued against 



THE J^WS IN ENGLAND. 269 

tliem on their Sabbatlis and holidays should be null 
and void ; and that, except on urgent occasions, 
they should not be called upon for any public duties 
on those days. That civil cases should be decided 
by their elders, and that they might bequeath their 
property according to their own law of inheritance. 
All foreign Jews settling there were recognised as 
British-born subjects, and included in the above- 
enumerated privileges. As a proof how strongly 
the affections of the Hebrews were engaged towards 
England by this exhibition of tolerance, we may 
mention that when Surinam was conquered by, and 
finally ceded to the Dutch, although their privileges 
were all confirmed by the conquerors, they gave up 
their homes, synagogues, and lands, and braved all 
the discomforts of removal, and settled in Jamaica 
and other English colonies, rather than live under a 
government hostile to Great Britain.* 

In 1673 we find prejudice again busy, in an indict- 
mei>t, charging the Jews with unlawfully meeting 
for public worship. They again unhesitatingly ap- 
pealed to the king, petitioning that, during their 
stay in England, they might be unmolested, or that 

* Surinam, or Dutch Guiana, situated on the north-eastera 
coast of South America, is still almost peopled with Jews ; but 
they are emigrants from the Dutch possessions in Europe, not 
descendants of the former Anglo-Jewish settlers. 

23 



270 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

time might be allowed them to "withdraw from the 
country. Charles, pursuing his previous policy, 
peremptorily commanded that all proceedings against 
them should cease ; and during the remainder of his 
reign no further molestation occurred. 

On the accession of James II. old prejudices were 
renewed, and thirty-seven Jewish merchants were 
arrested on the Exchange for no crime or fault, but 
simply for their non-attendance on any church. 
Certain writs in statute 23 of Elizabeth, instituted, 
probably, to suppress innovations in Protestantism, 
were the pretext for this aggression. , James, as 
his brother had done, befriended the Jews ; and 
summoning a council composed of the highest digni- 
taries of his realm, both church and laymen, declared 
" that they should not be troubled on this account, 
but they should quietly enjoy the free exercise of 
their religion as long as they behaved themselves 
dutifully and obediently to the government." 

The foregoing was the last public annoyance to 
which they were subjected in England. In 1690, 
indeed, a petition was sent to King William III. 
from the council of Jamaica, that all Jews should be 
made to quit the island ; but it was positively re- 
fused. And we infer that King William's sentiments 
towards the Israelites must have been even more 
favourable than those of his predecessors, from the 



THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. ■ 271 

circmTQstance that a great increase of Jews took 
place in England during his reign. Until this 
reign, one synagogue had sufficed ; the service and 
laws of which were conducted according to the prin- 
ciples of the Spanish Jews. In 1692 the first Ger- 
man synagogue was erected in Broad Court, Duke's 
Place ; and from that time two distinct bodies of 
Jews, known as Spanish and Portuguese, German 
and Dutch, have been naturalized in England. , No 
new privileges were granted them, however, during 
the reigns of either William or Anne. 

It is not till the ninth year of George L, 1723, 
that we can discover a parliamentary acknowledg- 
ment of their being British subjects ; granting them 
a privilege, which, in the present age, would appear 
meagre enough, but which, at the time of its be- 
stowal, marked a very decided advance in popular 
enlightenment. " Whenever any of his majesty's 
subjects, professing the Jeivish religioyi, shall pre- 
sent themselves to take the oath of abjuration, the 
words, on the faith of a Christian, shall be omitted 
out of the said oath ; and the taking of it by such 
persons professing the Jewish religion without the 
words aforesaid, in the manner as Jews are admitted 
to be sworn to give evidence in the courts of justice, 
shall be deemed a sufficient taking." 

In the reign of George IT., 1740, another act 



272 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

of parliament passed, recognising all Jews who 
resided in the American colonies, or had served as 
mariners during the war two years in British ships, 
as " natural born subjects, without taking the sacra- 
ment." Thirteen years afterwards, the naturaliza- 
tion bill passed, but was repealed the year following, 
according to the petitions of the city of London, and 
other English towns. Since then the Jews have 
gradually gained ground in social consideration ; but 
all attempts to place them on an exact equality with 
other British subjects of all religious denominations, 
by removing the disabilities which, the more fondly 
they cling to the land of their adoption, the more 
heavily oppress them, have as yet been unavailing. 

By the multitudes, the Jews are still considered 
aliens and foreigners ; supposed to be separated by 
an antiquated creed and peculiar customs from sym- 
pathy and fellowship — little known and still less 
understood. Yet they ai'c, in fact, Jews only in 
their religion — Englishmen in everything else. In 
point of fact, therefore, the disabilities under which 
the Jews of Great Britain labour are the last relic 
of religious intolerance. That which they chiefly 
complain of is, being subjected to take an oath con- 
trary to their religious feelings, when appointed to 
certain ofiices. In being called to the bar, this 
oath, as a matter of courtesy, is not pressed and a 



THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. 273 

periodical act of indemnity shelters the delinquent. 
Jews, therefore, now practise at the bar, but only 
bj sufferance. The same indulgence has not been 
extended to entering parliament, and consequently 
no Jew is practically eligible as a member of the 
House of Commons. Is it not discreditable to the 
common sense of the age that such anomalies should 
exist in reference to this well-disposed, and, in every 
respect, naturalized portion of the community ? 



SOCIAL ARRANGEMENTS OF THE ENGLISH JEWS. 

In externals, and in all secular thoughts and 

actions, the English naturalized Jew is, as already 

mentioned, an Englishman, and his family is reared 

with the education and accomplishments of other 

members of the community. Only in some private 

and personal characteristics, and in religious belief, 

does the Jew differ from his neighbours. Many of 

the British Jews are descended from families who 

resided some time in Spain ; others trace their 

origin to families from Germany. There have 

always been some well-defined differences in the 

appearance, the language, and the manners of these 
23* 



274 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

two classes. The Spanish Hebrews had occupied so 
high a position in Spain and Portugal, that even in 
their compulsory exile their peculiarly high and 
honourable principles, their hatred of all meanness, 
either in thought or act, their wealth, their exclu- 
siveness, and strong attachment to each other, 
caused their community to resemble a little knot 
of Spanish princes, rather than the cowed and 
bending bargain-seeking individuals usually known 
as Jews. 

The constant and enslaving persecution of the 
German Hebrews had naturally enough produced 
on their characters a very different effect. Nothing 
degrades the moral character more effectually than 
debasing treatment. To regard an individual as in- 
capable of honour, charity, and truth, as always seek- 
ing to gratify personal interest, is more than likely 
to make him such. Confined to degrading employ- 
ment, with minds narrowed, as the natural conse- 
quence — allowed no other pursuits than that of 
usury, with its minor brandies, pawnbroking and 
old clothes selling — it was not very strange, that 
when the German Hebrews did make their way into 
England, and were compelled, for actual subsistence, 
still to follow these occupations, that their brethren 
from Spain should keep aloof, and shrink from all 
connexion with them. Time, however, looks on 



THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. 275 

many curious changes: not only are the mutual 
prejudices of the Jews subsiding, but the position 
of the two parties is transposed. The Germans, 
making good use of peace and freedom, have ad- 
vanced, not in wealth alone (for that, even when 
oppressed, they contrived to possess), but in en- 
lightenment, influence, and respectability. Time, 
and closer connexions with the Spanish Hebrews, 
will no doubt produce still further improvements. 

These distinguishing characteristics, which we have 
just pointed out, belong, with some modifications, to 
the poor as well as the rich of these two Jewish 
sects. The faults of the poor Spanish and Portu- 
guese Jews are so exactly similar to those of the 
lower orders of the native Spaniards, that they can 
easily be traced to their long naturalization in that 
country. Pride is their predominant and most un- 
happy failing ; for it not only prevents their advanc- 
ing themselves, either socially or mentally, but ren- 
ders powerless every efibrt made for their improve- 
ment. The Germans, more willing to work, and 
push forward their own fortunes, and less scrupulous 
as to the means they employ, are more successful 
as citizens, and as a class are less difficult to guide. 
Both parties would be improved by the interchange 
of qualities. And, comparing the present with the 
past, there is some reason to believe that this union 



276 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

•will be effected on British ground, and that the idle 
distinctions of Spanish and Portuguese, Dutch and 
Germans, will be lost and consolidated in the proud 
designation of British Jews. 

The domestic manners of both the German and 
the Spanish Jews in Great Bi'itain, are so exactly 
similar to those of their British brethren, that, were 
it not for the observance of the seventh day instead 
of the first, the prohibition of certain meats, and 
the celebration of certain solemn festivals and 
rites, it would be difficult to distinguish a Jevfish 
from a native household. The characteristics so 
often assigned to them in tales professing to intro- 
duce a Jew or a Jewish family, are almost all incor- 
rect, being drawn either from the impressions of the 
past, or from some special case, or perhaps from 
attention to some Pole, Spaniard, or Turk, who may 
just as well be a Polish or Spanish Christian, or 
Turkish Mussulman, as a Jew. These great errors 
in delineation arise from the supposition, that be- 
cause they are Hebrews they must be different from 
any other race. They are distinct in feature and 
religion, but in nothing else. Like the rest of the 
human race, they are, as individuals, neither wholly 
good nor wholly bad ; as a people, their virtues very 
greatly predominate. Even in the lowest and most 
degraded classes, we never find those awful crimes 



THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. 277 

with which the public records teem. A Jewish mur- 
derer, adulterer, burglar, or even petty thief, is 
actually unknown. This may perhaps arise from 
the fact, that the numerous and well-ordered chari- 
ties of the Jews prevent those horrible cases of des- 
titution, and the consequent temptations to sin, from 
which such a mass of crime proceeds. A Jewish 
beggar by profession is a character unheard of ; nor 
do we ever find the blind or deformed belonging to 
this people lingering about the streets. The virtues 
of the Jews are essentially of the domestic and 
social kind. The English are noted for the comfort 
and happiness of their firesides, and in this loveliest 
school of virtue, the Hebrews not only equal, but 
in some instances surpass, their neighbours. From 
the highest classes to the most indigent, affection-, 
reverence, and tenderness mark their domestic inter- 
course. Three, sometimes four generations, may 
be found dwelling together — the woman performing 
the blended duties of parent, wife, and child ; the 
man those of husband, father, and son. As mem- 
bers of a community, they are industrious, orderly, 
temperate, and contented ; as citizens, they are faith- 
ful, earnest, and active ; as the native denizens of 
Great Britain, ever ready to devote their wealth 
and personal service in the cause of their adopted 
land. 



278 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

Both the Spanish and German congregations have 
their respective charities, either founded by benevo- 
lent individuals, or supported by voluntary contri- 
butions and annual subscriptions. There are schools 
for poor children of both sexes and all ages, from 
the infant too young to walk, to the youth or maiden 
ready for apprenticeship ; orphan asylums and 
orphan societies for clothing, educating, maintain- 
ing, and apprenticing both male and female orphans ; 
hospitals for the sick, comprising also establishments 
for lying-in women, and an asylum for the aged; 
societies, far too numerous to specify by name, for 
clothing the poor ; for relieving by donations of 
meat, bread, and coals ; for cheering the needy at 
festivals; for visiting and relieving poor women, 
when confined, at their own dwellings, and enabling 
them to adhere to the rites of their religion in nam- 
ing their infants ; for allowing the indigent blind a 
certain sum weekly, which they forfeit if ever seen 
begging about the streets ; for granting loans to the 
industrious poor, or gifts if needed ; for outfitting 
boys who are to quit the country, and granting re- 
wards for good behaviour to "servants and appren- 
tices ; for furnishing persons to sit up with the sick 
poor, and granting a certain sum for the mainte- 
nance of poor families during the seven days' mourn- 
ing for the dead, a period by the Jews always kept 



THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. 279 

sacred ; for relieving distressed aliens of the Jewish 
persuasion ; and, amongst the Portuguese, for grant- 
ing marriage-portions, twice in the year, to one or 
more fatherless girls, and for giving pensions to 
widows. There are also almshouses for twenty-four 
poor women annexed to the Spanish and Portuguese 
synagogue, and others in Globe Lane for ten respect- 
able poor families of the same congregation ; and 
not many years ago, a philanthropic individual (A. 
L. Moses, Esq., of Aldgate) erected almshouses for 
twelve poor families of the German congregation, 
with a synagogue attached, in Bethnal Green Road, 
at his own sole expense. 

When we remember how small is the number of 
Jewish denizens in the great city of London, com- 
pared with its Christian population, and observe the 
variety and number of these charities, we are surely 
borne out in our assertion, that benevolence is a 
very marked characteristic of the Jcavs. Nor is it 
a virtue confined to the rich. Beautiful is that 
charity which is shown by the poor to the poor, 
and it is in this that the Jews excel. To relieve 
the needy, and open the hand wide to their poor 
brother, is a repeatedly-enforced command of their 
religion, which they literally and lovingly obey. 
On the eve of their great festival, the Passover, the 
door of the poorest dwelling may be found open, an 



280 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

extra plate, knife, and fork laid on the frugal table ; 
and whoever needs food, or even lodging for that 
holj festival, may freely enter and appropriate to 
himself the reserved seat. That he may be quite a 
stranger is of little consequence ; he is a Hebrew, 
and needy, and is therefore welcome to the same 
fare as the family themselves partake. 

Nor are these charities confined only to their own 
race ; they never refuse assistance, according to 
their means, whatever may be the creed. Neither 
prejudiced nor penurious in calls of philanthropy, 
their heart is open as their hand ; and if they amass 
gold too eagerly, the fault is in some degree atoned 
by the use to which it is applied. Nor can it be 
doubted that as time rolls on, and even the remem- 
brance of persecution is lost in the peace and free- 
dom which will be secured them, the mind as well as 
the heart will be enlarged ; and that, while they shall 
still retain their energy and skill on the Exchange 
and in the mart, literature and art will enliven and 
dignify their hours at home. We may mention as a 
hopeful symptom the recent establishment of the 
" Jews' and General Literary and Scientific Institu- 
tion" (the Sussex Hall of Leadenhall Street). Here 
Spanish and German Jews meet on common ground ; 
classes, lectures, and an excellent library are open 
alike to the artisan, the tradesman, the merchant. 



THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. 281 

the professor, and the idler ; and from the eagerness 
with which all classes avail themselves of the ad- 
vantages afforded by the institution, it would appear 
that its value is duly appreciated. 

The domestic government of the Hebrews is very 
simple. Each synagogue is, as it were, a little inde- 
pendent state, governed by a sort of parliament, con- 
sisting of parnassim or wardens, gahoy or treasurer, 
and elders, with an attendant secretary, the congre- 
gation of the synagogue being like the members of 
a state. The wardens have the general superin- 
tendence of all the affairs of thq congregation : the 
treasurer, the charge of all the sums coming into his 
hands for the use of the congregation, and of their 
expenditure. These officers are elected yearly — two 
wardens being chosen 'about Easter, which is gene- 
rally the time of the Jewish Passover; and two 
more, and the treasurer, about Michaelmas, at the 
conclusion of the Jewish feast of Tabernacles. Four 
wardens, or parnassim, therefore, act together ; each 
performing the part of president three months alter- 
nately, and during the time of his presidency, con- 
sidered as the civil head of the little community, 
and receiving certain honours accordingly. 

The wardens and treasurer, attended by the 
secretary, whose business it is to take note of their 
proceedings, and bring cases before them for their 
24 . 



282 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

consideration, meet once or twice a week, in a large 
chamber adjoining the synagogue, to make grants 
of moneys, distribute relief, and endeavour, by strict 
examination and impartial judgment, to settle all 
causes and disputes, according to the laws, institu- 
tions, and penalties of the Jewish state (that is, 
synagogue), and so prevent the scandal of bringing 
petty offences and domestic differences before the 
English law. If, however, they cannot succeed in 
making peace, or the offence is of so grave a nature 
as to interfere with the British laws, the offender is 
indicted before the lord mayor, and must take his 
trial as any other English subject. 

When questions of general importance are agi- 
tated, the gaboy, or treasurer, summons the elders 
to monthly meetings ; where, in conjunction with 
the M'ardens, the subject is discussed, and decided 
by a majority. If the votes are eqiial, the president 
is allowed the casting vote in addition to his own ; 
but all resolutions passed at one meeting must be 
confirmed in the next, to be considered valid. 

No member of the synagogue can be an elder, 
unless he has served or been elected a warden or 
treasurer ; but there are some meetings to which, in 
the Spanish congregation, all the members of the 
synagogue are summoned, women as well as men ; 
all, in short, of either sex, who pay a tax to the 



THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. 283 

synagogue ; the paying of "wliich tax, or finta, as it 
is called, constitutes a member. There is no fixed 
assessment, but each member is taxed according to 
his means. 

These remarks, however, refer principally to the 
Spanish and Portuguese congregation ; the Dutch 
and German diflfers in some minor points, such as 
having three wardens instead of four, who serve 
sometimes two years instead of one. And in addi- 
tion to the wardens and treasurer, they have an 
overseer of the poor and seven elders, who are an- 
nually elected from the members of the vesfi-y, and 
regularly attend at monthly or vestry meetings ; 
forming, with the honorary officers, wardens, &c., 
a committee, who deliberate on all matters essential 
to the congregation. The vestry of the Germans, 
like the elders of the Portuguese, consists of such 
members as have previously been elected to the 
honorary offices. Their duty is to attend all special 
and quarterly meetings for the general government 
of the synagogue. 

In both synagogues, Spanish and German, all 
members residing within twelve miles of the syna- 
gogue are eligible for either of the honorary offices, 
and are elected by ballot ; the president in this, as 
in other cases, having the casting vote. No election 
is considered valid without a majority of seven votes. 



284 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

The individual elected may or may not accept, but 
is subject to a fine if he refuse, unless incapacitated 
for the duties of the office by ill health or old age. 
Persons above seventy years of age are exempted 
from the fine. 

In London, we might almost say in Enghmd, there 
is but one Spanish and Portuguese synagogue ; that 
founded by Menasseh Ben Israel in the time of 
Cromwell. The Germans have so multiplied, that 
not only have they four or five synagogues in Lon- 
don, but form a congregation in almost every pro- 
vincial 'town. It is a rare occurrence to find a 
family of Spanish or Portuguese extraction esta- 
blished elsewhere than in London ; but wherever 
the Germans can discover an opening for business, 
there they will be found active and persevering, 
self-satisfied and happy ; ever on the alert for the 
increase of wealth, and not over-scrupulous as to 
the means of its acquirement. The synagogues and 
Jewish congregations, therefore, in the provincial 
towns, it should be remembered, all belong to this 
body, and must not be considered as representatives 
of all the British Jews. Each synagogue belonging 
to the Germans has its OAvn government of honorary 
officers, &c., who superintend the affairs of their own 
congregations, rich and poor. Formerly they were 
all considered tributary to the great synagogue of 



THE JEWS IN ENGLAND. 285 

Duke's Place ; but tliey are now independent, and 
the bond of union being one of amity and not of 
restraint, their individual and several interests have 
been preserved in mutual harmony. 

In addition to the already-mentioned officers, each 
synagogue has two or more deputies, elected every 
seven years, as representatives of the Jewish nation 
to the British government. Their duty is to take 
cognisance of all political and statistical matters 
concerning the Hebrew communities throughout the 
British empire. In cases of general national im- 
portance, they meet together, consult, and then re- 
porting the result of their deliberations to their 
elders and constituents, for such in fact are the seve- 
ral congregations by whom they are elected, and, 
receiving their assent, they proceed to act on the 
measures proposed. On all occasions of public re- 
joicing, as in the accession of a sovereign or national 
victory, &c., it is the office of the deputies to address 
the sovereign in the name of all their brethren ; and 
in cases of petitions for increased privileges for them- 
selves, or relief for their oppressed nation in other 
lands — as at the time of the Damascus persecution, 
or the recent Russian ukase — it is their duty to wait 
upon the premier, or any of the ministers in office, 
and request their interference. 
24* 



286 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 



JEWS OF CONTINENTAL EUROPE. 

In the treatment of the Jews, Great Britain at 
present occupies a position between the United 
States of North America, Franco, and Belgium, on 
the one hand, and Germany and Russia, with some 
other countries, on the other. In the United States, 
Jews are eligible to all civil offices ; and there it is 
far from uncommon to find Jews performing the 
functions of judges of the higher courts, sheriffs, 
and members of Congress. All this is exactly as it 
should be. In France, Jews are likewise eligible 
for civil offices without violation of conscience ; and 
also in Belgium, the Jews are not proscribed in the 
manner they too frequently have been. 

Religious toleration cannot be said to extend far- 
ther in continental Europe than through France and 
the Netherlands. As respects the treatment of 
Jews, most continental nations are still less or more 
floundering in the darkness of the middle ages. In 
many nations the Jews are still liable to insults, 
oppressions, banishment, and even at intervals to 
torture and massacre. The same charge of kidnap- 
ping and murdering Christian children as in Poland, 
Prussia, and many parts of Germany, constantly 
fulminated against them — rousing the easily-kindled 



THE JEWS OF CONTINENTAL EUROPE. 287 

■wrath and hate of the more ignorant, and occasion- 
ing such assaults as frequently demand the inter- 
ference of the military to subdue — and the subse- 
quent discovery that the supposed victim of Jewish 
bloodthirstiness has fled from the cruelty of Christ- 
ian masters, found refuge, and kindness, and food 
in the Jewish households, to which he may have 
been tracked, and escaped thence, with their friendly 
aid, into the open country, where, happily for the 
release of his benefactors from unsparing slaughter, 
he is discovered and brought back. Repeatedly, 
however, as this occurs, and not only the innocence 
but the benevolence of the Jews is firmly established, 
it has no power to prevent the repetition of the same 
charges whenever a Christian child disappears : a 
perseverance in prejudice and perversion of huma- 
nity scarcely credible in the present day, but proved 
only too true by the constant Avitness of the conti- 
nental press. 

It is very difficult to obtain a just and correct 
view of the domestic history of the Jews on the con- 
tinent : scarcely possible, in fact, except by a resi- 
dence of some weeks in the midst of them. Tra- 
vellers notice them so casually, and these notices 
are so coloured with the individual feelings with 
which they are viewed, that we can glean no satis- 
factory information except as to their social position, 



288 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

■which has been always that of a people apart. The 
less privileges they enjoy, the more marked of course 
this separation becomes. The prejudice on both 
sides is strengthened ; and to penetrate the sanctu- 
ary of domestic life and their national government, 
is impossible. In France and Belgium, as we have 
seen in England, they are only Jews in the peculiar 
forms and observances of their religion : in every- 
thing else of domestic, social, or public life, they 
are as completely children of the soil as their Christ- 
ian brethren. Elsewhere on the continent, they are 
so marked by degrading ordinances, even to their 
modes of dress, and the localities of their dwellings, 
that their individual and social identity is known at 
once, and they are shunned and hated as possessors 
of the plague. In Rome, the Jews are still confined 
to one quarter of the town, called the Ghett, which 
several months in the year is so completely inundated 
as only to permit egress and ingress by means of 
boats. In the other towns of Italy, though the 
quarters of the towns assigned them may be some- 
what less unhealthy, their social position is the same. 
In Austria, though Francis I., and after him Joseph 
II., sought to meliorate their condition, the endea- 
vour does not appear to have been continued ; for 
tlie liumiliatins and distressing liabilities to which 
they are subject in the cmpii'e have degraded them 



THE JEWS OF CONTINENTAL EUROPE. 289 

to the lowest ebb, and, except in a very few instances, 
uttei'ly prevent their raising themselves, either so- 
cially or mentally. It so chanced, however, that a 
wealthy Jew did obtain such favour from the empe- 
ror, in return for some weighty service, as to be 
oflFered a patent of nobility, which, with a nobleness 
of soul needing no empty title to make it more dis- 
tinguished, he refused, asking in its stead freedom 
of the city for his sons-in-law (he had no sons, and 
his daughters were then unmarried). It was granted; 
and the gift of his daughters obtained for their for- 
tunate possessors a privilege granted to none other; 
for the sons-in-law of this honourable Jew are the 
only free Jewish citizens and merchants of Vienna. 
In the time of Napoleon, several of the smaller 
German sovereignties befriended the Jews, issuing 
ordinances admitting them to many civil rights, ex- 
empting them from oppressive imposts, and per- 
mitting them to pursue trade and obtain professor- 
ships. In gratitude for these unusual privileges, 
several entered the army of the Allies, formed in 
1813 to break the galling yoke of Napoleon, and so 
distinguished themselves, as to receive as many 
medals and decorations of honour as their more 
naturally warlike compatriots. It was only reason- 
able that, as they performed all the duties of pa- 
triots and citizens to their respective states, they 



290 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

should demand and expect the abolition of all the 
oppressive enactments made against them in more 
barbarous times. And we find, in 1815, the Ger- 
manic Confederation assembled at Vienna, declaring 
in their sixteenth article, " The diet will take into 
consideration in what way the civil melioration of 
the JeAvs may best be effected, and in particular how 
the enjoyment of all civil rights, in return for the 
performance of all civil duties, may be most effect- 
ually secured to them in the states of the Confede- 
ration. In the mean time the professors of this 
faith shall continue to enjoy the rights already ex- 
tended to them." 

From the present condition of the Jews in Ger- 
many, however, this would appear mere words. 
With the cessation of the call for their patriotism 
from the general amnesty, the recollection of their 
services also ceased, and no decided means ever 
seems to have been taken to secure to them the pro- 
mised privileges. The great trading towns, Ham- 
burg, Lubcck, Bremen, and especially Frankfort-on- 
Maine, never showed even the profession of friend- 
liness towards them. The jealousy awakened by 
that spirit of commercial enterprise, so peculiarly a 
Jewish characteristic, continues still, and effectually 
retards their social consideration ; rivalry in com- 
merce being unhappily as great a fosterer of preju- 



THE JEWS OF CONTINENTAL EUROPE. 291 

dice as the ignorance of former years. In Frank- 
fort, until. ;i very few years ago, so heavily were they 
oppressed, that if any Jew, even of the most vene- 
rable age, did not take off his hat to the mere child- 
ren of Christian parents, he was pelted with stones, 
and insulted by terms of the grossest abuse, for 
which there was neither redress nor retaliation ; and 
this was but one of those social humiliations, the 
constant pressure of which must at length degrade 
their subjects to the narrow mind, closed-up heart, 
and sole pursuit of self-interest of which they are 
accused. .The impoverished condition of the nobles 
and princes of the soil, during the late war, fre- 
quently compelled them to part with their estates to 
the only possessors of ready money — the Jews. 
When the immediate pressure of want had subsided, 
it was naturally galling to men, as proud as they 
were poor, to behold the castles and lands, the heri- 
tage of noble German families through many centu- 
ries, enjoyed by men of neither rank nor education, 
and whose sole consideration was great wealth. The 
very moans b}^ which that wealth was obtained — 
contracts entered into with the French emperor — 
increased the dislike of all classes towards them, 
heightened by the presumption and ostentation they 
displayed. In 1820 riots broke out against them at 
Meningen, at Wurtzburg, and extended along the 



292 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

Rhine. Hamburg, and still farther northward, as 
far as Copenhagen, caught the infection ; and so 
serious were the disturbances, so sanguinary the in- 
tentions of aroused multitudes, that it demanded the 
utmost vigilance of the various governments to pre- 
vent the nineteenth century from becoming a repeti- 
tion of the twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth cen- 
turies. The very cry which was the signal for the 
old massacres, and which, once heard, was as certain 
doom to the hapless Jew as if the sword was already 
at his throat — "Hep! hep!" from the initials of 
the old Crusade cry, " Hierosolyma est perdita !" 
[" Jerusalem is lost !"] — was revived on this occa- 
sion ; a curious fact, as full four centuries had 
elapsed since it had last been heard. Nine years 
later, we are told that " when the states of Wirtem- 
berg were discussing a measure which extended 
civil rights to the Israelites, the populace of Stutt- 
gard surrounded the Hall of Assembly with savage 
outcries of ' down with the Jews !' The states, how- 
ever, calmly maintained their dignity, continued 
their sittings, and eventually passed the bill." 

When we remember that this fanatical outbreak 
of prejudice took place scarcely twenty years ago, 
we may have some idea of the social position of the 
Jews in Germany. Notwithstanding its humiliating 
nature, however, they have shared the advancement 



THE JEWS OF CONTINENTAL EUROPE. 293 

of the age in the zealous cultivation of intellect and 
art. The extraordinary genius of their great coun- 
tryman, Moses Mendelsohn, who flourished in the 
eighteenth century — the boldness with which he 
had flung aside the trammels of rabbinism, and the 
prejudices ai'ising from long ages of persecution, 
making himself not only a name amongst the first 
of German literati, but forming friendships with 
Lessing, Lavater, and other great spirits of the age, 
completely destroying in his own person the unso- 
cial spirit of his nation — had given an impulse to 
the Jews which even the excitement of the war, and 
its vast resources for amassing wealth, had not the 
power to diminish. German, and the other modern 
languages, which, until the master-mind of Mendel- 
sohn appeared, had been considered profane, and 
therefore neglected, are now zealously cultivated, 
the literature of each appreciated and studied. 
They attend the universities, and have greatly 
advanced in all the departments of mental and 
physical science ; thus proving that when the Jews 
appear so devoted to interest alone, as to neglect 
all the higher and more intellectual pursuits, it is 
position, not character, that is at fault. In the 
earlier ages we find them, in the brief intervals of 
peace, not merely merchants of splendour and opu- 
lence, but the sole physicians, sole teachers, sole 
25 



294 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

ministers of finance in their respective realms to 
nobles and princes. Their superior intelligence 
and education at a period when it was rare for 
nobles and kings, and even the clergy, to write 
their names, marked them out for offices of trust, 
which they never failed to execute with ability and 
skill. And it is notorious that the ambassador 
between the Catholic Emperor Charlemagne, and 
the no less famous Mohammedan potentate, Haroun 
al Raschid, holding in his sole trust the political 
interests of Europe and Asia — for at that time the 
princes we have named might be justly considered 
the representatives of the two continents — was 
neither knight, noble, nor prince, but simply Isaac, 
a Jew ! But when these breathing-times had passed, 
when kings and princes needed wealth, and their 
exhausted coffers could only be replenished by the 
treasures of the Jews — when the multitude asked 
but a rumour to fan suppressed hatred to a flame — 
the horrors of persecution recommenced ; the ser- 
vices of the Jews were forgotten ; and statute after 
statute, each more degrading than the last, bound 
them to such a position, such pursuits, that they 
became ignorant of their own power themselves, 
and made no effort to prove themselves other than 
they were believed. But the power was quenched 
— not lost ; and it is bursting forth again with re- 



THE JEWS OF CONTINENTAL EUROPE. 295 

newed vigour wherever it has scope for development 
and growth. 

There is a street in Frankfort-on-Maine called the 
Juden Strauss, or Jews' Street, in which the houses 
look so aged and poverty-stricken, that to walk 
down it almost seems to transport one to the 
middle ages, and recalls all the painful stories of 
the Jews of that time, and the marvellous tale of 
the lavish splendour and great wealth which these 
hovel-like entrances concealed ; the affectation of 
poverty and abject misery assumed, not from any 
miserlike propensities in themselves, but to deceive 
their cruel foes, to whom the scent of wealth was 
always the signal for blood. In this street, dui-ing 
the late war, dwelt an honest, hardworking Jew, 
little regarded by his fellows of his own or the 
Christian faith ; he was poorer than the generality 
of his brethren, and there was nothing in his ap- 
pearance or manner to denote a more than common 
mind. How it happened that he was selected as 
the guardian of certain moneys and treasures be- 
longing to a German prince, whom the • fate of war 
had caused to fly from his possessions, does not ap- 
pear ; but certain it is that the trust was willingly 
accepted and nobly fulfilled. The confusion and 
alarm of the French invasion, and the various revo- 
lutions in Germany thence proceeding, extended to 



296 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

Frankfort. Many of the Jews were pillaged ; for 
wealth being imagined synonymous with the word 
Jew, they were less likely to escape than any. The 
Jew we have mentioned was amongst the number, but 
so effectually were the prince's treasures concealed, 
that their existence was not even suspected. And 
when the tumult had ceased, and Frankfort was 
again left to its own quiet, the Jew's own little pro- 
perty had greatly diminished, but his tt'ust was un- 
touched. Some few years passed ; the pillaging of 
Frankfort had reached the ears of the dispossessed 
prince, and he quietly resigned himself to the belief 
that his own treasures had shared the common fate, 
or at least had been appropriated by the Jew to atone 
for his own losses. As soon as he could, he returned 
to his country, but he was so fully possessed with 
the idea that he was utterly impoverished, that he 
made no effort at first even to inquire after the fate 
of his property. His astonishment — which, how- 
ever, admiration and gratitude equalled — may be 
conceived when he received from the hands of the 
Jew the whole untouched ; some assert with the full 
interest of certain sums which his necessities had 
compelled him to use ; but this is traditional. "We 
can only vouch for the truth as far as the immediate 
undiminished return of the whole property as soon 



THE JEWS OF CONTINENTAL EUROPE. 297 

as claimed. The effects of this honourable conduct 
can be traced to this day in the whole financial 
world. 

The prince was not of that easy nature to be 
satisfied with the mere expressions of gratitude. He 
spread the tale — which, regarded as an utter con- 
tradiction to the imagined characteristic usurious 
practices of the Jews, appeared far more extraordi- 
nary than it really was — over all the courts of Ger- 
many. From them it spread to other kingdoms: 
the Jew found himself suddenly withdrawn from 
obscurity, and all his talents for financial enterprise 
— of the extent of which, perhaps, he had been igno- 
rant himself till the hour found the man — called 
into play. Not only did he amass such wealth him- 
self as perhaps sometimes to cause a smile at the 
treasures which had seemed of such moment to 
their owner, but his family, ennobled, accomplished, 
prince-like in their establishments and position, may 
be found scattered in almost every European court, 
and acknowledged on every Exchange as the great 
movers of the money market of the world. But the 
widow of their founder, now nearly a century old, 
refuses all state or grandeur : she receives the 
visits of her descendants, but in the same lowly 

dwelling that beheld the rise and growth of her 

25 * 



298 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

husband's fortunes — in the old dilapidated Juden 
Strasse of Frankfort. 

While Poland was an independent sovereignty, 
the Jews there had greater privileges than in any 
other European kingdom except Spain ; and in fact 
many Spanish and Portuguese refugees fled to that 
country when expelled from their own. A charter 
is still extant, made by Duke Bodislas, who flour- 
ished in the thirteenth century, protecting them 
from oppressions of every kind, and breathing a 
spirit of toleration and benevolence strangely con- 
trasting with the cruel enactments of contemporary 
sovereigns. The love said to be borne by Casimir, 
the great-grandson of Bodislas, for a Jewish girl, 
occasioned the confirmation of this deed. And even 
when, at a later period, and in the first heat of the 
controversy between the Catholics and Protestants, 
the latter faith was prohibited, the Jews still re- 
mained unmolested. They formed the only middle 
class of the kingdom, and, as such, were the sole 
engrossers of traffic, constituting in several towns 
and villages nearly the whole of the population. 
They had numerous academies, where, however, the 
rabbinical, more than general learning, was made a 
first object. Poland might at that time have been 
termed the scat of rabbinism, for nowlierc were the 
traditions more considered, nor its teachers more 



THE JEWS OF CONTINENTAL EUROPE. 299 

revered. Jewish parents from all quarters sent 
their sons to the Polish schools, satisfied that there 
they must attain all the necessary knowledge. 

With the dismemberment of Poland, the privileges 
of the Jews ceased. Prussia and Austria have often 
made professions of toleration, but there is little 
evidence in the condition of the Jews under either 
government to prove it. Nor was it likely that the 
Polish Jews should be the favoured portion of the 
emperor of Russia's Polish subjects, to be excluded 
from oppression. Mr. Herschel has thus graphically 
delineated their miserable condition : — " They are 
driven from place to place, and not permitted to live 
in the same street where the so-called Christians 
reside. It not unfrequently happens that one or 
more w-ealthy Jews have built commodious houses 
in any part of a town not hitherto prohibited ; this 
affords a reason for proscribing them. It is imme- 
diately enacted that no Jew must live in that quarter 
of the city; and they are forthwith driven from 
their houses, without any compensation for their 
loss. They are oppressed on every side, yet dare 
not complain ; robbed and defrauded, yet obtain no 
redress. In the walk of social life, insult and con- 
tempt meet them at every turning. The very children 
in the streets often throw stones at the most respect- 



300 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

able Jews, and call them the most opprobrious 
names, unchecked and unrebuked." 

The late ukase, which, for the fault of one or two 
individuals, condemned 50,000 Jews to a doom far 
worse than the famous edict of expulsion from Spain 
in 1492, but too fearfully confirms this account. 
Banished from their dwellings, cast out from all trade, 
all employment, even from the poor occupation of 
breaking stones on the highway, by which three 
hundred families earned scarcely dry bread — not 
permitted to leave the kingdom, but sentenced to 
inhabit not only the most unhealthy part of the in- 
terior, but a space of ground not large enough to 
accommodate half their number, they perished by 
thousands ; and the misery of the survivors it needs 
a powerful pen to picture. There was no escape, 
no hope, no remedy. The decree of a single indi- 
vidual sentenced 50,000 of his harmless subjects to 
a fate than which the slaughters and massacres of 
the middle ages were almost merciful. And this 
horrible ukase is of so late a date, that neith^ its 
execution nor its misery can yet be looked on as the 
past. 

We would gladly turn from this melancholy pic- 
ture : but the history of the continental Jews is 
almost all the same. In the Mohammedan king- 



THE JEWS OF CONTINENTAL EUROPE. 301 

doms, indeed, they have enjoyed a toleration which 
might shame many a Christian sovereignty; the 
extreme indolence of the Musselmans assisting in 
permitting them to obtain the almost exclusive 
trade of the Levant. Subject as they are to the 
oppression of individuals — sultans and pashas — 
needing wealth or excitement, still these are but 
temporary misfortunes. Their general position in 
the Ottoman provinces, both of Europe and Asia, 
is one of more security, peace, and consideration, 
than in contemporary and more enlightened king- 
doms. 

Scattered as they are all over the world, literally 
from north to south, and east to west, and in all 
the corners and islands of the globe, forming colo- 
nies, or being already domiciled in every newly- 
discovered land, yet America now seems their con- 
tinental central home. They have there privileges 
and freedom in common with any and every other 
faith ; they are debarred from no social advan- 
tages ; can enjoy piiblic honours, and perform public 
duties. Professions, military, naval, and civil, are 
open to them, and all the various branches of com- 
merce and trade. 

It is rather a remarkable coincidence, that the 
very year in which the Jews were expelled from 
Spain — the country which had been to them a 



302 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

second Judea — Christopher Columbus discovered 
America, the land which was to be to these perse- 
cuted people a home of security and freedom, such 
as they then could never have even hoped to enjoy. 
The edict of expulsion from Spain was never re- 
called ; but yet, though outwardly and professedly 
the most rigidly Catholic kingdom of Europe, it 
was actually peopled with Jews, though with great 
secrecy. 

Many families now naturalized in England trace 
their descent, and in no very remote degree, from 
individuals whose history in Portugal and Spain have 
all the elements of romance. About the middle of 
the eighteenth century, a merchant, whom we will 
call Garcias, though that was not his real name, 
resided in Lisbon, commanding the respect and con- 
sideration of all classes from his upright character, 
lavish generosity, and great wealth. He conducted 
his family, consisting of a wife, two young daugh- 
ters, and a large establishment of domestics, so 
exactly in accordance with th*e strictly orthodox 
principles of Catholicism, that for several years all 
suspicion had been averted. How he contrived, with 
so many jealous eyes upon him, to adhere to the 
rigid essentials of the Jewish faith — keeping the 
festivals and Sabbaths, never touching prohibited 
meats, and celebrating the solemn fast once a year 



THE JEWS OF CONTINENTAL EUROPE. 303 

— must now and for ever remain a mystery. We 
only know that it was done, and not only by him, 
but by hundreds of other families. At length sus- 
picion was aroused. It wg-s the eighth birthday of 
his younger daughter, celebrated with music and 
dancing, and all the glad festivities which such occa- 
sions call forth in an affectionate and generously- 
conducted household. His elder daughter, a young 
girl of sixteen, was engaged to the son of a friend, 
also in prosperous business in Lisbon, and life had 
never smiled more hopefully on Garcias than it did 
that night. 

In the midst of the festive scene, the merchant 
was called out to speak with some strangers, who 
waited on business — important business they said — 
which could not be delayed. He descended to the 
hall of entrance ; the strangers threw off their 
cloaks, and appeared in the garb and with the war- 
rant of the Holy Office, authorized to demand and 
enforce the surrender of his person. From the very 
midst of his family, friends, and household, he was 
borne to the prisons of the Inquisition, and there 
remained without any communication with the outer 
world, without even knowing the fate of his family, 
for an interval of eight years. He was several times 
examined — a word in the present instance syno- 
nymous with torture, always applied to compel a 



304 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

confession of Judaism, which confiscated the -whole 
property of the accused to the use and pleasure of 
his accusers — hut Garcias was as firm and unflinch- 
ing as his examiners. Neither torture nor imprison- 
ment could succeed in obtaining one word which 
could betray the real truth, and condemn him as a 
secret Jew. 

The devices to which he resorted to beguile his 
imprisonment might fill a moderate-sized volume ; 
we have only space to mention one or two. His 
peculiarly gracious and winning manner, his cour- 
teous and gentle speech, which never changed, tried 
as he must have been by a variety of sorrows and 
anxieties in this weary interval, won him so far the 
regard of his jailor as to permit his employments to 
pass unnoticed, when otherwise they would undoubt- 
edly have been forbidden. Undoing with some 
degree of care one of his own knitted socks gave 
him not only the materials but the knowledge how, 
if he could but contrive the necessary implements, 
to knit a smaller pair from it. By excessive patience 
and perseverance he so sharpened the lid of a metal 
snuff-box as to serve for a knife, and with this he 
contrived to fashion a pair of knitting-needles from 
the bones of a chicken which had served him for 
dinner. With these he knitted socks for children, 
and presented them to the jailor for the use of his 



THE JEWS OF CONTINENTAL EUROPE. 305 

family. His next wish was for the implements of 
writing, which, more rigidly than anything else, 
were denied him. His urbanity and his presents, 
however, permitted him the secret acquirement of 
some paper, the jailor quieting his conscience per- 
haps by the idea that no evil could come of it, as 
pen and ink it was quite impossible for the prisoner 
to make, and equally impossible, unless he wished 
to lose his situation, for him to grant. But Gar- 
cias's was not a mind to rest quiet without some 
effort for the accomplishment of his wishes. The 
snuff-box, knife, and chicken-bones were again in 
requisition, and a pen was successfully formed. The 
ink, or at least its substitute, was rather more diffi- 
cult, but necessity is always a sharpener of intel- 
lect, and even this was accomplished. He made a 
hole in the brick flooring of his prison, and supplied 
it regularly with lamp-black, procured from the 
lamp, which, as an unusual indulgence, was per- 
mitted him every evening. With these rough ma- 
terials, carefully secreted even from his friend the 
jailor, he beguiled his confinement with writing seve- 
ral plays and dramas, mostly on Scriptural subjects, 
which are still in the possession of his family, and 
display the elastic and versatile mind of the man as 
strongly as his urbane and gracious manner; his 
humorous gayety, which never failed him even in 
26 



306 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

prison, and his enduring patience, evince his calm 
and collected dignity of character. 

In the seventh or eighth year of his imprisonment, 
the great earthquake of 1755, which almost de- 
stroyed the whole of Lisbon, took place. The con- 
fusion and ruin extending to the prisons of the 
Inquisition, caused the guards and officials hurriedly 
to disperse, and left the gates open to the several 
prisoners. Many fled, but in so doing sealed their 
own doom ; for they were mostly all retaken, and 
their flight pronounced sufficient evidence of their 
guilt to condemn their persons, and confiscate their 
whole property. Garcias knew, or suspected this, 
and quietly abode in his prison, attempting no escape, 
and apparently regardless of the dangers around 
him. After this, all attempts to compel a con- 
demnation of himself appear to have ceased, and 
he was restored to his family. So little had his 
danger and various trials afifected him, that he would 
have continued calmly to pursue his business in Lis- 
bon as before, if his elder daughter had not besought 
him on her knees, and with tears, to fly from such 
a city of horror. The unknown destiny of her 
father had of course prevented all thought of the 
fulfilment of her marriage engagement : and not 
long after Garcias's summons, the parents of her 
betrothed were in the Inquisition likewise, and 



THE JEWS OF CONTINENTAL EUROPE. 307 

Podriques, the young man himself, compelled to 
fly. So much secrecy and caution were necessary 
effectually to conceal all trace of such fugitives, that 
no communication could pass between the betrothed. 
She had not even an idea of the country which had 
given him refuge, nor of his means of subsistence. 
His mother, not herself an actual prisoner, was an 
inmate of the Holy Office, as a voluntary attendant 
on her husband, and twice herself exposed to immi- 
nent danger, both times foreshadowed by an extra- 
ordinary dream. Once she fancied herself in the 
arena of a bull-fight, exposed to all the horror of 
an attack from one of these savage animals, without 
any means of defence. The bull came roaring and 
foaming towards her ; death seemed inevitable, and 
in its most fearful shape, when suddenly the infu- 
riated animal stopped in its mad career, and laid 
itself quietly as a pet dog at her feet. She awoke 
with the strong feeling of thankfulness, as if some 
real danger had been averted, and the impression of 
this strange and peculiarly vivid dream remained 
till its foreshadowing seemed fulfilled. She was 
summoned to the "question," by her evidence to 
condemn her husband ; the instruments of torture 
were produced, and actually about to be applied, 
when the surgeon interfered with the assertion that 
she was not in a state of health to bear them, and 



308 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

she was remanded, and not recalled. In her second 
dream, she was alone on the summit of a high tower, 
which suddenly seemed to give way beneath her, 
leaving nothing but space between the battlements 
where she stood and the ground several hundred 
yards below, causing the fearful dyead of immediate 
precipitation and death, yet still as if the doom were 
averted by her being upheld by some invisible power, 
and aid and a safe descent permitted, the means of 
which the vagary of her dream seemed utterly to 
prevent her ascertaining. Not long afterwards, the 
great earthquake already mentioned took place. 
She was in one of the upper chambers of the Inqui- 
sition at the time of the first shock, and rushing out 
on the landing with her infant in her arms, found, to 
her horror and consternation, that the staircase had 
disappeared, and nothing but space lay between her 
and the basement story, her only means of escape 
into the open air. While gazing with horror on her 
terrible position, the recollection of her dream re- 
turned to her, and she felt strengthened by faith 
that she and her child would both be preserved, 
though how, she could not indeed imagine. A few 
minutes passed, and then came a second shock, 
restoring the staircase to its place ; and in little 
more than a minute the awe-struck but grateful 
woman was in safety. 



THE JEWS OF CONTINENTAL EUROPE. 309 

Incredible as this story seems, we have neither 
added nor diminished one item of the real truth, 
and our romance of real life is not quite concluded. 
Garcias and his family went to England, and not 
long afterwards the release of Podriques permitted 
him and his wife, the heroine of the above escape, 
to do the same. There they were joined by their 
son, and a brief interval beheld the nuptials of the 
long-betrothed, long-severed, whose children still 
survive. It would be wrong to dismiss the anecdote 
without mentioning it as our belief that all intelli- 
gent Roman Catholics of the present day disclaim 
the propriety of perpetrating such acts of oppres- 
sion, and as earnestly sympathize with the Jews as 
any class of the community. 



Such is the history of a people who, though for 

so many years denizens and subjects of this free 

and happy land, are yet regarded as aliens and 

strangers ; and still, unhappily but too often, as 

objects of rooted prejudice and dislike. To trace 

this prejudice to its origin might be difficult ; for it 

would be hard to say it proceeded from ignorance, 

when it is so often found amongst the educated classes. 

Yet ignorance in reality it is. The peculiar religion 
26* 



310 ESSAYS AND MISCELLANIES. 

of the Hebrews, and their habit of worshipping 
apart, keeps them strangers in a great degree to 
the community at large. But whenever it so hap- 
pens that the interdicted circle of a Jewish family 
is entered, and its inmates known, prejudice is sure 
to give way. The faults of the Hebrews, such as 
they are, may be traced, in a great measure at least, 
to the degrading influence of long-continued perse- 
cution, which they suffered from the bigotry of 
ancient barbarism, in this and in other countries. 
Now, however, the British empire has given the 
exiles of Judea a home of peace and freedom, and 
that they feel towards her an affection and reve- 
rence as strong and undying as any of her native 
sons, it is to be hoped that the prejudices against 
the Jews will ultimately disappear with the dawn 
of an era in which all Englishmen, however differ- 
ently they may pray to the Great Father of all, 
shall yet, so long as they fail not in duty to their 
country and to each other, be regarded as the com- 
mon children of one soil. 



THE END. 



X6 
























9^ *•-'•* ^0 



PreservationTechnologies 

--vv\.\.:s- A WORLD LEAOER IN HDI I FrTinNS PRESERVATION 
4^^ ** ^**0* A 111 Thomson Park Dnve 

^ * « * ^ Cranberry Township. PA 16066 

^ ^^ (724)779-2111 

'^^ .4» „ _. „, -™ * -X Vim 








^^^^<«. 



• ^^' 




^oV" 







*;^o^ 



^\^ 



^^0.^^' 




v*^' 













